Elderly arthritis sufferer Gladys Taylor was left in tears when surgery was scrapped on the operating table. Jayne Garfitt reports...

AS she was wheeled into the operating theatre, Gladys Taylor breathed a sigh of relief.

For the last 41 weeks the 75-year-old was almost housebound as she experienced unbearable pain in her ankle and foot, caused by arthritis.

A talo-navicular fusion, where a bone in the ankle joint is joined to a foot bone, was due to take place at City Hospital on December 1 and would have relieved the pain.

But as staff felt Mrs Taylor's back for the right place to inject her, she was horrified when the consultant put a stop to the procedure – because the plates and screws needed for the operation had not returned from sterilisation at the Queen's Medical Centre.

"It's unbelievable," said Mrs Taylor, of George Avenue, Beeston.

"I've been having so much pain I was so pleased to think when I went in on the 1st that at last I was getting it done after waiting 41 weeks and to get to theatre and actually be prepared to have the spinal [injection], only to be told the equipment couldn't be found – I couldn't believe it.

"I was crying. I was absolutely upset.

"You hear of people waiting in beds and having their operation cancelled but to actually go down to theatre... If it had have been one second or two later that they realised the injection would have been in my back and my legs would have been dead and I'd have had to stop in until the feeling came back and I still wouldn't have had my operation.

"You just don't expect things like that to happen. I'd have thought they'd have had to have all the things ready before taking me down."

Mrs Taylor had been experiencing pain in her foot since the end of last year. Since then she said the pain has worsened and she has been unable to put weight on it.

"It's been terrible," she said. "I've not been out. My daughter takes me shopping in the car but that's it. I used to socialise and go out every Saturday night but I've not been since last November, the reason being because I couldn't walk on my foot.

After an appointment in February, Mrs Taylor's operation was originally scheduled to take place in July but was postponed because her consultant went on long-term sick leave.

After it didn't go ahead again on December 1, Mrs Taylor was told she might have to wait a further four to six weeks.

She submitted a formal complaint to the hospital and an investigation into why the equipment wasn't in the theatre and who was responsible has now been launched.

She then had the operation one week later.

While relieved to be getting her ankle sorted, Mrs Taylor was also cautious after her previous experience.

"Two days before the operation happened I rang up my consultant's secretary to check the parts were there," she said. "I was so relieved when they said they were and so relieved to have the operation done.

"I don't want any sort of compensation but I do want answers. I'm so annoyed something like this has happened when I think of the pain I've suffered."

Her daughter Sandra Martin, who has two brothers, also wants to know how the mix-up happened. She said she was appalled when her mum rang her from the hospital on December 1 to ask her to come and collect her.

"It was a right farce," Mrs Martin, 51, of York Avenue, Beeston.

"I can't believe they did what they did. Someone should have checked everything they needed was there before they got my mum into theatre.

"I just hope we don't experience anything like it again."

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) which manages the QMC and City Hospital have apologised to Mrs Taylor and will continue to investigate why it happened.

Adam Brooks, clinical director for specialist support, which covers operating theatres at NUH, said: "We're sorry that Mrs Taylor's operation was delayed on 1 December.

"The specialist equipment (metal plates and screws) needed for her surgery had not returned from being sterilised – which is vital for the safety of such a procedure. We apologised to Mrs Taylor at the time and were able to reschedule her operation for the following week.

"All of our theatres equipment at NUH goes through a thorough checking process to ensure everything is of the highest quality and within sterilisation dates."