Operation cancelled after superbug fears

From the Guardian Series, first published Thursday 22nd Jul 2004.

A TERRIFIED Lach Denis woman is so scared of contracting the MRSA superbug she has refused to keep her pre-operation appointment at Leighton Hospital.

And now she has been taken off the consultant's waiting list.

Marilyn Hulse had already been waiting 15 months in excruciating pain for an orthopaedic operation to be carried out on her shoulder.

When Marilyn, of Egerton Terrace, who has a heart condition, initially rang the surgeon's secretary to say she would not be keeping her appointment, she was told her operation would be put back until October.

But 15 minutes later she was told that unless she turned up for her appointment, she would be taken off the list altogether.

Marilyn said: "I have already had a heart bypass.

"I feel it is like signing your own death warrant. I will be frightened to death.

"There are supposed to be around 300,000 patients affected by this bug and most of them are in for orthopaedic operations."

Marilyn first visited her surgeon, Mr Redfern, after waiting for six months.

He took pictures of her shoulder and told her she needed to have keyhole surgery but that the wait would be for nine months.

Marilyn was supposed to go for a pre-operation appointment on Thursday last week but rang up and told Mr Redfern's secretary of her fears.

She said: "The secretary said many people had phoned up with similar concerns and suggested postponing the appointment until October.

"I was happy with that but she phoned back 15 minutes later and said she had spoken to her superior and if I didn't come, then I was off the list."

She added: "I expect I will have to wait another six months now for an appointment to see the surgeon."

The Guardian asked a spokesperson for Leighton Hospital to comment on the case but at the time of going to press, they were not in a position to make a statement.

vkandel@guardiangrp.co.uk

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