A former teacher from Benfleet, Essex, has said he had to give up work after waiting a year for a prostate operation at Southend University Hospital, where waiting times have increased significantly.
Alan Jennison, 60, requires a procedure on his prostate and has been waiting since December 2019. He currently has a catheter and said the pain made it impossible to continue teaching. He stated he might have the operation within the next four months, but there was 'no guarantee'.
Data from Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, which includes Southend Hospital, shows the number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks for a routine operation rose to 8,072 in February, compared to 1,291 a year ago and just 12 in 2017.
Mr Jennison said he only discovered he had a booking for the operation last June through another department, not urology, and received a phone call in July or August asking if he was still alive. He had chased the hospital every few months, but they rarely replied.
The trust has initiated a 'harm review' process focusing on cancer, dermatology and colorectal backlogs. Mr Jennison now has a pre-anaesthetic assessment scheduled for Friday. The trust said his procedure is booked for a few weeks' time and wished him well.
A spokesman for the NHS in the East of England said the pandemic had 'had an inevitable impact on the NHS'. Patient group Healthwatch Essex reported an increase in complaints about delays and issues with the trust handling complaints.
