Man shares 'disgust' with Mark Drakeford after waiting nearly seven years for a knee operation

Phillip Smith has had several pre-operation appointments, but the procedure keeps getting delayed - first by Covid and now due to the waiting list backlog. Credit: Sharp End

A man who has been waiting nearly seven years for a knee operation has written to Mark Drakeford to share his "disgust" at the state of the NHS.

Phillip Smith, from Blackwood, has had several pre-operation appointments, but each time the procedure has been delayed - first by Covid and now due to the waiting list backlog.

The 75-year-old former local government worker told ITV Wales' Sharp End he has been left in pain and discomfort since 2016 when he was told he needed a knee replacement.

Mr Smith wrote: "I am writing to you to express my disgust at the way the Welsh government has run the health service in Wales." Credit: Sharp End
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And after his operation was delayed by the pandemic, in 2021 he says he made a call to find out when it would be rearranged - only to be told he was no longer on the waiting list.

"I was flabbergasted! I thought, years are going on and I'm taken off the list now. So I asked them 'why' and they said 'we don't know', she said to me then the only thing I could do is start all over again - so I thought oh blimey truth."

Back in February, Mr Smith was told by a surgeon his operation was urgent, but he's since been told the "terrible" news that it could be another year's wait.

"I just don't understand what's going on with the health service," he said. "For the last number of years I've been hobbling about and it's getting worse."

Mr Smith said one leg is shorter than the other now as the bones have collapsed, leaving him walking out of sync.

He added: "I've been having pain in my hip now because this is causing all these problems.

"I'm just so frustrated that nothing is happening. Don't they realise I am in pain?"

Mr Smith said one leg is shorter than the other now as the bones have collapsed. Credit: Sharp End

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board offered "sincere apologies" to Mr Smith, adding: "We would urge Mr Smith to contact us directly and we can look into this unusual case as a matter of urgency.

“Our staff are working very hard to reduce our planned surgery waiting times which, on average, increased from 38 weeks to 3 years due to the backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic."

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