The husband of a retired teacher fears she will pay with her life after her cancer operation was called off amid nurses’ strike.
Heather Smith (75) would have had a tumor removed from her left breast last Thursday, on the day members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) went to the picket line.
She had been called by the hospital the day before to say that the operation had been postponed and a new date for it to be carried out was not yet known.
The cancellation comes despite the RCN’s promise that “emergency” cancer treatments will not be affected by the strike.
Heather Smith (75) was due to have a tumor removed from her left breast last Thursday, on the day members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) went to the picket line
Ms Smith and her retired husband, accountant Nick, 73, will spend Christmas at home in Sutton Coldfield amid fears the cancer is spreading. She told The Mail on Sunday: “I’m so scared.”
Yesterday RCN Secretary General Pat Cullen said: “I must apologize to any patient whose treatment has been stopped.”
But Ms Smith’s shocked husband dismissed the union leader’s apology as “nonsense”. He said: “My wife is upset. She likely won’t have surgery for at least six weeks while the cancer spreads.
“Does this delay mean she loses her breast—or, if scattered, her life?”
Mum-of-four Ms Smith, who has six grandchildren, has “no idea” when the operation at Good Hope Hospital in Solihull will now take place. It has now been four months since she went to the GP after finding the lump.
Mum-of-four Ms Smith, who has six grandchildren, has “no idea” when the operation at Good Hope Hospital in Solihull (pictured) will now take place. It has now been four months since she went to the GP after finding the lump
After successive delays, she underwent a biopsy on November 9 and was told on November 25 that the lump was cancerous.
She said: “It’s very worrying, especially as I can feel the bump now. It hurts sometimes.
“I am still waiting for a new surgery date. I haven’t heard anything from the hospital. Nothing at all. And it will ruin my Christmas.”
According to an agreement between the nurses’ union and state officials, nurses who provide “emergency” cancer care must continue to work on strike days.
However, the RCN said there is no agreed national definition of what emergency cancer treatment is, adding: “We have made it clear that it is an emergency and clinically urgent.” [cancer treatment] must go on.’
The RCN said there is no agreed national definition of what emergency cancer treatment is, adding: “We have made it clear that it is an emergency and clinically urgent. [cancer treatment] gotta go on’
The RCN said it was up to Ms Smith’s hospital to explain how her operation was classified in terms of urgency.
Mrs Smith said: ‘It may not be urgent for her, but it is for me.
“I can imagine growing, getting bigger.”
A spokesman for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said: “We deeply regret that due to union action we have had to postpone some procedures in the interests of patient safety.
“We are very sorry if this adds to any fears or concerns, but we will postpone it to the next opportunity.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
