Minister's 'promise over cancelled operations'

The health secretary is reported to have promised to look into the case of a Lincolnshire cancer patient who has twice had operations cancelled.

Gillian Moulds, from Grantham, was told the move was due to high emergency admissions at Nottingham's Queens Medical Centre and City Hospital.

Her brother, Andrew Smith, said the minister had made the pledge during a meeting at Boston's Pilgrim Hospital.

The hospitals have cancelled about 550 non-emergency operations this year.

'No excuse'

Ms Moulds, 47, was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year and was due to have an operation at the Queen's Medical Centre in March but this was cancelled.

On Monday, the mother-of-two heard a second date for surgery was also not going ahead and no new date was given.

Mr Smith took the case to his sister's MP, Nick Boles, before seeking out Health Secretary Andrew Lansley during a visit to the Boston hospital on Thursday.

He said the health secretary was "gobsmacked" by what had happened.

"(Andrew Lansley) said he would monitor the situation personally and things will move," Mr Smith said.

"He couldn't really pinpoint a cause, yes they are very, very busy at Queen's, but he said that was no excuse."

Ms Moulds said the news was "amazing".

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust has apologised to Ms Moulds for the distress and worry caused and said it hoped her operation would go ahead next week.