Still waiting for help from NHS

12:34pm Wednesday 18th June 2008

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A MAN who waited eight months and still could not be diagnosed by York Hospital now faces a further three-month wait for treatment - despite having a potentially fatal illness.

In June of last year, Terry Donohue, of Eyre Close, Brayton, near Selby, found that while walking his knees would become stiff and he would have to bend and stretch them.

The problem became worse, with Mr Donohue describing it as if someone was tightly gripping his knees.

Now he is in constant pain when he stands up, and can barely move more than 50 metres without a wheelchair.

Last October he was referred by his GP to York Hospital for tests. After 13 weeks on a waiting list he was seen by a consultant, but nothing was found. He was referred to another consultant and spent another 13 weeks on a waiting list. Again, no diagnosis could be made.

He was referred again, and yet again there was no diagnosis.

Frustrated the 56-year-old went private and was referred by his GP, who took a blood test, to the head of research at Hull Royal Infirmary.

It was found he had high ferritin levels and was diagnosed with haemochromatosis, which causes excess iron in the blood to be deposited in the organs and joints of the body.

Mr Donohue said ferritin levels should normally be at between 25 and 50 nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml) of blood.

They can safely be up to 300 ng/ml, but his blood test showed they were at 693ng/ml. The condition can be fatal if left untreated.

But presenting the results to York Hospital, Mr Donohue has been told he must now join another 13-week queue to see an endocrinologist.

Mr Donohue said: "We have no qualms with the NHS but I'm not a sickly person, I've never really been ill so it's come as a shock to me to find out bad the system is.

"We don't want to spend all our money on private treatment.

"You like to think that they will be there for you when you need them, but they are not."

The Press put Mr Donohue's points to York Hospital, but in a statement managers said they could not comment about individual cases.

Patrick Crowley, the hospital's chief executive, said: "The foundation trust has in place well developed systems for evaluating, investigating and responding to the often complex issues surrounding patient care.

"However, it is unable to comment publicly on individual cases, but is always willing to engage with individual patients who may have concerns."