Children facing long waits for spinal surgery

Jemma said her son George's condition is getting worse as he awaits an operation

Parents are warning their children are being put at risk because of long delays at a spinal surgery unit.

Jemma said her son George's condition has worsened while he has waited almost a year for an operation.

The BBC understands the delays are partly down to parking and clean air zone costs leading to nurse shortages.

Bristol Children's Hospital apologised and added there have been nurse shortages but added that complex cases need to be investigated before surgery.

George, from Langport, has a rare genetic condition called Marfan syndrome, which means his arm span is greater than his height.

The 12-year-old misses half of his school lessons because he is in chronic pain and said:"[It makes me feel] really annoyed and angry and sad."

Marfan causes heart problems, weak muscles and a curvature of the spine.

X-ray images show George's worsening spine curvature

George has urgently needed a spinal fusion since May 2022 but an operation which had been due on 29 March was cancelled because his heart problems had worsened over the past year and he now requires a heart scan before surgery can go ahead to correct his worsening curvature.

According to hospital letters seen by the BBC, he was fit enough to have the operation last summer.

His mother, Jemma, a 37-year old accountant, said: "The pain is getting worse every day.

"His quality of life is diminishing every day and so the longer we wait the worse George's condition is getting and it's just not fair."

George is not the only one waiting for spinal surgery. Four-year-old Asger from Stroud requires an operation at Bristol Children's Hospital, to help him walk without a frame.

He needs Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery to help with muscle weakness caused by cerebral palsy.

His mother, Holly, says she has resorted to crowdfunding to pay for the procedure privately and has raised just over a third of her £60,000 target.

Holly's four-year-old son Asger is awaiting an operation at Bristol Children's Hospital to help him walk without a frame

The 39-year-old said: "If we don't intervene right now he is going to have to have further surgeries for lengthening different muscles so that will end up costing the NHS even more money if it's not done sooner rather than later.

"But unfortunately we got caught up in the Covid and the Brexit crisis meaning that the hospital can't get the physical staff into the operating theatre, so we are left completely in a difficult situation."

Holly said doctors have told her the hospital is short of scrub nurses after many went overseas during Covid and have not returned.

Hospital sources have told the BBC that nurses can earn the same salary in Spain and not have to face higher charges for things like parking like they do in the UK.

They added that in some cases staff can pay more than £300 a month for parking and clean air zone charges.

It is not possible to know how many children are waiting more than 18 months for surgery because hospitals only publish target times for adults.

Minimise waiting times

Professor Stuart Walker, chief medical officer at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust does everything it can to minimise waiting times.

"Every child is different and, in complex cases, it can take time to diagnose, assess and investigate the best possible treatment plan for them.

"In addition, like children's hospitals up and down the country, our urgent and emergency services continue to be exceptionally busy and unfortunately this also impacts our waiting times for planned procedures.

"Every child on our waiting list is regularly reviewed by our senior consultant doctors to ensure they are treated as quickly as possible, prioritised by clinical urgency."