Man says operation at Royal Sussex hospital cancelled eight times

John Adamski, 72, who lives in Upper Beeding, was playing golf up in Hollingbury when he slipped on the wet grass and ended up in the splits in the morning on May 13.

His bodyweight crashed down onto one ankle and it broke in three places.

John’s playing partner rushed to his aid, getting him onto a buggy and back to the clubhouse.

The staff there had already called an ambulance which came in around half an hour.

By 12.30pm he was at A&E at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

John Adamski broke his ankle in three places (Image: John Adamski)

He said he spent the next 17 hours on a trolley until he could get a bed.

More than a week later, John said he had his operation cancelled for an eighth time.

“It’s just so frustrating,” John told The Argus.

John said he fasted for six hours on Thursday, May 23, only to be told his operation was cancelled again.

“It is going on and on and on," he said.

"The surgeon came to see me and explained the situation. He was very apologetic.

“The staff can't do enough for me. They are just so understaffed and haven’t got the space.”

John said he understood why trauma cases were prioritised, but was anxious about what the delays meant for his injury.

John Adamski said the staff were wonderful and 'very apologetic' (Image: John Adamski)

“The NHS is on its knees,” John said.

“It really is a disgrace it has been brought to this.”

• READ MORE: Video shows A&E patients crammed in corridors as pensioner spends 52 hours on trolley

A spokesman for the Department for Health and Social Care said it was unable to comment on NHS waiting times and cancelled operations due to being in the pre-election period.

John had his operation on Friday and was allowed to go back to his home in Church Lane on Saturday.

“It feels so good to be home at last,” he said.

“The staff and doctors are marvellous, and my heart goes out to them.”

John Adamski said his operation was cancelled eight times (Image: John Adamski)

In a statement issued last week, Siobhan Murray, managing director for unscheduled care at UH Sussex, addressed the issue of corridor care.

Last week, she said: ''Our A&E departments have been under severe pressure in recent days, and particularly over the weekend. The impact on our patients has been significant, and our staff have had to work incredibly hard in very difficult circumstances - the impact is simply not good enough for everyone affected. 

“The problems we see in A&E are not caused there - they are the product of pressures across the system, not just in our hospitals where there are a number of patients who are medically ready to leave, but also across the wider NHS and social care system.

“There is no single, quick fix to ease these pressures, and we will keep working with our partners to better manage how people can get the care they need, quickly, to help our emergency care teams to do their vital work."

Huw Edwards, managing director of planned care at University Hospitals Sussex, said: “We know some people are waiting longer than they should for their care, which is not what we want, and our staff are working extremely hard and are focused on giving patients the very best care. However, along with most NHS trusts, when services are under huge pressure, care must be prioritised for those with the most urgent needs, which can unfortunately lead to appointments having to be rescheduled.

“Colleagues across the trust are dedicated to reducing the time that patients wait for their care, this includes delivering extra clinics, maximising the use of community diagnostic centres and improving processes to enable patients to access the care they need quicker.”