Boy, 6, with chronic tonsillitis waits years for surgery as NHS Wales waiting times break records

When Marley was two years old, he was diagnosed with tonsillitis. Doctors said his tonsils would have to be removed.

Marley, from Monmouth, is now six years old. He still has tonsillitis, and is frequently prescribed antibiotics. But due to NHS waiting times, his tonsils have still not been removed.

"I would imagine he is in pain", said Lisa White, Marley's mum.

"But he's so used to it, I don't think he really knows a life without that sort of pain."

'Why does my son have to suffer for years?'

Marley's condition is affecting him in many ways. His attendance at school is poor at just 73% - which his mum says has been classed as a "cause for concern" at his school.

"Why does my son have to suffer for years for an operation that will literally take half an hour to 45 minutes?" Marley's mum said.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board says it has a large number of children waiting for elective surgery, and a substantial amount of those are waiting for a tonsillectomy. But they say they must prioritise the most clinically urgent cases.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: "I do understand that for children that is a particular problem, because it is a huge part of their life. Which is why we have said that when it comes to planned surgery, children should actually be prioritised."

The latest NHS waiting times in Wales have once again broken records, with an estimated half a million people currently waiting for treatment.

Marley is hoping he will get his treatment soon, and there are hundreds of thousands of other patients like him hoping the same.

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