Mother 'frustrated' after son's surgery cancelled last minute due to junior doctors strikes in Wales

• Video report by ITV Cymru Wales' Health reporter, Katie Fenton

A mother has been left "frustrated" and "worried" after her son's operation was cancelled as thousands of junior doctors in Wales start a four-day strike, their longest period of industrial action yet.

It is the third strike this year in a dispute with the Welsh Government over pay and working conditions.

Lindsey Thomas' five-year-old son Alexander has been waiting for abdominal surgery for two years.

His operation was scheduled to take place on Wednesday 27 March. However after ringing to check this morning, Ms Thomas was told it had been cancelled.

Alexander has a 50% percent chance of developing Urachal cancer, a rare type of bladder cancer, as an adult if he doesn't have this surgery.

"It's been the apprehension, the constant waiting, calling the hospital, trying to get a date, then finally getting a date and then being told that this is not going to happen again for another number of weeks, it's just added to the stress and the worry," she explained.

"It was a perfect date for us this time - it's the Easter holidays, he wouldn't have missed much school. We've been told he needs roughly two weeks off school after the surgery to heal and to be told that this is not going to happen now when it would have been the perfect time has added to the concern and frustration."

Junior doctors say their pay has been cut by almost a third since 2008 and the Welsh Government's below inflation 5% pay rise offer is the worst in the UK.

The Welsh Government says it cannot afford more than a 5% rise.

Wales' Health Secretary Eluned Morgan has said previously that the Welsh Government does not have the budget available to increase the pay deal.

"Our offer is at the limits of the finances available to us and reflects the position reached with the other health unions."

Ms Thomas said although she is frustrated, she does not blame junior doctors for taking strike action.

"I have to think of it from their [junior doctors'] perspective too. Clearly there's enough of a problem with their pay and they wouldn't be doing this is they were being paid fairly.

"It's clear that the Welsh Government does need to get back around the negotiating table with them to get this sorted out.

"These individuals, many of them have gone through the pandemic, got us through that, put in the extra effort and love and care for their patients and I think it's only fair that the government does renegotiate with them."

She continued: "We are just one case in probably thousands. There are waiting times for probably many patients, Alexander just being one of them and many people will be in a position where they need that surgery quicker and I hate to think that there are so many people being affected by this."

Ms Thomas said the impact of Alexander's surgery moving will result in him having to take time off school.

"More worry, more frustration, another few weeks of thinking about this operation." She said.

"Unfortunately it means he'll be missing two weeks of school because the date that we provisionally have now means that there is no holiday after that.

"He is school age and we don't want him to miss school but unfortunately he will have to. Not only that but I'll have to renegotiate my parental leave and become his teacher because to be honest, I'm not going to let him have two weeks of screen time, so it's something that's alien to me but I'm going to have to try to keep up with his education that he will be missing."

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