Grandmother battling breast cancer hits out at 'appalling' treatment after delayed operations

[dutchman]

A grandmother battling breast cancer for the third time has hit out at the ‘appalling’ treatment she is receiving – after waiting months for an operation which has been cancelled twice



Lynne Shufflebotham from Warwick discovered she had cancer in March.

Since then the 66-year-old has had a number of appointments, scans, tests and two cancelled operations – along with one ‘expected operation’ date which never materialised, at University Hospital Coventry (UHCW) and Warwick Hospital.

The retired mum-of-two says her treatment has been slow and that she is still awaiting an operation to remove the cancer.

Lynne told the Observer: “In the past – 23 and 16 years ago when I last had cancer – the treatment was good. I don’t remember having the wait between appointments I had this time. In my opinion the NHS is much worse than it used to be.

“I have found communication between UHCW and Warwick slow and archaic – the results of one scan hadn’t been received by Warwick by the time I had an appointment and I feel the operation I am waiting for could have been decided upon from a scan I had in April.

“I can’t say I am unhappy with the decision for treatment that has been finally made, but it has taken so long to come to a conclusion.”

Lynne has now lodged a complaint with UHCW – where most of her care has been based – which she says breached NHS guidelines of commencing treatment within 62 days.

She has not complained to Warwick Hospital, but figures for South Warwickshire Foundation Trust – which runs the Lakin Road site – recently revealed it was failing to hit the 62 day NHS cancer treatment target.

NHS guidelines say 85 per cent of patients should be treated a maximum of 62 days after being referred to the hospital by their GP.

But during July just 79 per cent at SWFT were. UHCW did reach the target.