A MAN has been left scared for his health following a mix up that has resulted in him not receiving surgery to remove a tumour.

Mr Anthony Watts, 54, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and after a total of twelve biopsies was told he would need surgery.

Mr Watts said: "Back in November I was given three options to try and get rid of the cancer, radiotherapy, key hole surgery or open surgery. I opted for key hole surgery as I felt it was the least invasive procedure. I was told by the Worcester Royal Hospital that I would need to be transferred to Wolverhampton for the surgery, which was fine.

"I hadn't heard anything for a while after that so I phoned the hospital and was told by a nurse that I had been booked in for open surgery at Worcester. I was so frustrated, I hadn't been given any information at all, and I had been booked in for the wrong operation at the wrong hospital. I later found out that my referral had been sent to the wrong department in Wolverhampton."

Mr Watts of Lowesmoor, Worcester, is still waiting for surgery, and doesn't know when he is likely to receive it.

He continued: "I cannot believe the negligence, I understand that hospitals are busy but that is little consolation to me, I am scared for my life. Surely the longer the tumour is in me the greater the risk that it will spread. I have been to the GP, the hospital, a solicitor and now the press, I am out of options. My anxiety is so high, I feel worse now than I have ever felt."

Mr Watts moved to Worcester to be closer to his three sons and three grandchildren, he spends the majority of his time with them.

He said: "This is so hard for my family, the not knowing. My mum is elderly and keeps ringing me up asking for news and I have nothing to tell her. It's the same with my eldest, he is in the army, he keeps asking me when I am having surgery and I have to tell him, I don't know. It isn't fair on any of us."

A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We’re sorry to hear that Mr Watts is unhappy with his contact with our hospital so far. While we can’t go into detail on individual cases for confidentiality reasons, all patients requiring surgery are fully involved in decisions around their care.

“We are in regular contact with Mr Watts to reassure him that we are doing everything we can to ensure he receives the most appropriate treatment for his condition as soon as possible.”