'I can't lift my grandchildren up' - patients in agony as they await surgery
Unable to tie their shoelaces, unable to lift up their grandchildren and unable to get to sleep.
Those are just some of the experiences of people ITV News West Country has spoken to as waiting lists for non-urgent operations and procedures continue to grow.
The latest data from NHS trusts in the West Country shows the number of people waiting more than a year for treatment has rocketed.
NHS Trusts in the area say they are working to clear the backlog as quickly as possible, but they have been placed under "unprecedented" pressure due to Covid-19.
At the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust (RD&E) Hospital in Exeter the number of people waiting more than 52 weeks is 15 times higher now than it was for the same period in 2019.
Angela Neil, 61 and from Brixham, is one of those waiting for hip surgery at the RD&E.
She was diagnosed with severe arthritis in her hip and feet four years ago and her condition is now so bad she says she fears she might not be able to walk by next year.
She said: "I feel quite debilitated because I can't lift my grandchildren up and that makes me really sad. I can't tie my shoelaces, I have to have a grabber to lift something up off the floor."
She broke down in tears when she was first told she would be waiting more than a year, and that was even before it was cancelled because of Covid-19. She has even considered remortgaging her home to pay for the operation privately.
In Radstock, Jade Partington from has suffered with back problems for seven years.
The mum often has to resort to a mobility scooter when she's had to move around a lot.
She said: "I'll have a few days afterwards when I can't physically move, it shouldn't be like that at 30 years old."
In early 2020, she was put on a treatment path to give her some pain relief but her facet joint ablation procedure at Southmead Hospital in Bristol was cancelled with no sign of a new date.
Meanwhile, the family of 82-year old June Bawn believe she has lost nearly four stone in the time she's had waiting for her hip operation.
The Bristol pensioner described the pain she is in as "excruciating".
Despite being unable to sleep properly, she's faced two cancellations in 2020. She does now have a new date set at Southmead Hospital for January 2021.
Latest NHS DATA on waiting times
The latest NHS data from the region's hospital trusts demonstrates the significant rise in the number of patients waiting more than a year for non-urgent treatment.
FOI results
Further to this ITV News West Country has also discovered average waiting times for elective surgery have risen by up to 70 per cent at some hospitals in the region. Freedom of Information requests to the West Country's largest NHS trusts have revealed:
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust: 73%
Waiting times rose from an average of 11 weeks in 2019 to 19 in 2020.
Royal United Hospital Trust: 60%
Waiting times rose from an average of 14.7 weeks in 2019 to 23.6 in 2020.
University Hospitals Plymouth Trust: 40%
Waiting times rose from an average of 12 weeks in 2019 to 16.8 in 2020.
North Bristol Trust: 46%
Waiting times rose from an average of 11 weeks in 2019 to 16.1 in 2020.
Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust: 16%
Waiting times rose from an average of 74 days in 2019 to 86 in 2020.
Somerset Foundation Trust: -47%
Waiting times dropped from an average of 19 weeks in 2019 to 10 in 2020.
Many health charities have been very critical of the waiting times patients are having to face.
Tracey Loftis from Versus Arthritis said the figures are "appalling" and leave people enduring "agonising waits" for joint replacements.
She added: “We’re currently seeing some NHS Trusts across England entirely pausing elective surgery because of the pressures of the second phase of the pandemic. The consequences of these further delays to people with arthritis’ physical and mental health are enormous and will reverberate for years to come.”
The need for clear plans to reduce the backlog have also been echoed by Tony Gravett from independent patient charity Healthwatch.
He said: "The management I think from the NHS has come on leaps and bounds since it first hit in March. However we can't get away from the fact that the situation has caused a backlog of patients and one of the things we'd like to see is clinical risk is one of the things that is high up on the agenda when they're looking at individuals coming in for surgery."
What the NHS trusts have said
In a statement, the RD&E said it is working to clear the backlog while balancing the needs of people who require urgent care with people waiting for non-urgent procedures.
They said: "We appreciate how difficult it is for a patient to have their surgery cancelled or postponed. However the safety of our patients and staff is a top priority, and by temporarily pausing certain procedures, we can reduce the number of patients in our hospital to ensure physical distancing on wards.
"Throughout the whole of the pandemic, patients who have needed urgent care have received it.”
North Bristol NHS Trust - which runs Southmead Hospital in Bristol - is also looking to reintroduce routine services as soon as it is safe.
Its chief operating officer Evelyn Barker said "unprecedented pressures" caused by Covid-19 mean some patients have been waiting "far longer than normal".
She added: “We understand how disruptive and distressing this will have been, and sincerely apologise to any patients who have experienced delays to their treatment."
She said the second wave of coronavirus in Bristol meant some operations had to be cancelled so the trust could safely care for "the rising number of people with Covid-19", and added: "We are closely reviewing the situation and will endeavour to re-introduce routine services as soon as is safe.”
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