A PROSTATE cancer patient claims he is still waiting for an operation following a hospital mix up.

Anthony Watts, of Lowesmoor, contacted the Worcester News last month after he was left scared for his health following a mix up that resulted in him not receiving planned surgery.

Mr Watts, 54, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and, after a total of 12 biopsies, was told he would need surgery, however he claims he was booked in for the wrong type of operation.

"Back in November I was given three options to try and get rid of the cancer – radiotherapy, keyhole surgery or open surgery," he said. "I opted for keyhole 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."

Now, he says he still hasn't been told where and when his surgery will take place.

"I understand that hospitals are busy but that is little consolation to me – I am scared for my life," he said.

“Surely the longer the tumour is in me, the greater the risk that it will spread. My anxiety is so high, I feel worse now than I have ever felt.”

He added: “They have not been in contact with me at all. I am still waiting for surgery and am getting increasingly worried.

“My GP has even tried to get in touch with them for me and they haven’t got back to him."

A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “While we can’t go into detail on individual cases for confidentiality reasons, we make every effort to make sure patients are fully involved in any decisions about their care.

"We have written to Mr Watts to update him and are doing all we can to ensure he receives his preferred treatment option in an appropriate setting as soon as possible.”

Mr Watts previously told the Worcester News: "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."