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AGONY: Margaret Dixon
Blair clashes over woman's op agony
Blaise Tapp and Ian Craig3/ 3/2005
GRANDMOTHER Margaret Dixon found herself at the centre of a political storm after the cancellation of her operation seven times was raised in the parliament.
During furious exchanges in the Commons, Conservative Opposition leader Michael Howard taunted Prime Minister Tony Blair about the number of cancelled NHS operations, using the Warrington pensioner's case as an example.
The 69-year-old, who broke her arm seven months ago in a fall last August, had been told she might not survive the surgery she needed.
Despite this her operation was cancelled five times in eight days late last year. This followed a four month wait to be admitted to Warrington General Hospital.
Since then the operation has been cancelled twice again.
Mr Howard said yesterday: "Because she has a weak heart, she's been told that her chances of surviving the operation are 50:50.
"She has praised the doctors and the nurses, but can you explain how after eight years of your Government, all the money you have spent on the NHS and all the promises you've made, this can happen in Britain today?"
Stroke
Mr Blair said: "If it is as you describe, it's completely unacceptable. What I do think is wrong is to take a case and try and make what I believe is an exception into our rule in our National Health Service."
Mrs Dixon - who has had her right arm in a sling since August and whose hand is now becoming fixed in a claw-like position - will need to be in a high dependency bed after her operation because she suffers from diabetes, renal failure and arthritis. She has also suffered a slight stroke.
Yesterday afternoon, as the furore over case raged and she conducted a series of media interviews at her Penketh home, Mrs Dixon was phoned by hospital staff who gave her an appointment to see a consultant later this month.
The delighted retired secretary said: "It is a definite maybe that I will have an operation. The last seven months have been like being shut away in a dark room and not being able to find a way out.
"I feel that if the money was allocated to the people who are on the sharp end of things like consultants and nursing staff rather than creating jobs for clerical and administrative staff then the NHS would be able to deal with more patients."
A spokesman for North Cheshire Hospitals said the trust was aware of a problem and was putting together a "business plan" for increasing the number of high dependency beds at Warrington from just four.
He said: "The trust very much regrets this particular patient's operation has not yet taken place and is endeavouring to reschedule it for a date in the near future."
What do you think of the NHS under Labour? Have your say.
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3/03/2005 at 09:59
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