s=10.5A BOLTON pensioner suffering from cancer has been left devastated after being told an operation to help him swallow has been postponed. Ronald Catterall's operation is among nearly 200 in Bolton which have been hit by the crisis caused by the flu epidemic and a massive increase in emergency admissions to Royal Bolton Hospital. Mr Catterall, 69, needs major surgery for cancer of the gullet but has been told he will have to wait for his operation.

The painful, debilitating condition has robbed him of the ability to swallow.

On Thursday, the day the Westhoughton man should have been in the theatre for surgery, his operation was cancelled.

Mr Catterall had been waiting since September for an appointment and was stunned when he was told it could not go ahead because there were no intensive care beds available. His wife Renee told the BEN: "His bag was packed and he was ready to go. He has been unable to swallow for several weeks and was devastated when his operation was cancelled.

"I know the hospital is under a lot of pressure, but I don't regard cancer surgery as a routine operation."

As already reported in the BEN, 177 operations have been cancelled over the Christmas and early New Year period because of mounting demand for beds.

The Royal Bolton and many other hospitals throughout the country have been trying to cope with an unprecedented increase in the number of emergency medical admissions.

Matters have been made worse by the fact that large numbers of staff have been hit by the flu bug.

Although additional beds have been opened, the hospital is still experiencing severe pressure which is being made worse by the staff sickness.

Today the British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine called for increased emergency bed provision throughout Britain "to allow patients to receive the quality of care they deserve and expect".

It says seriously ill and injured patients are having to wait an unacceptable length of time in inappropriate surroundings.

And it blames the crisis on the Government's drive to reduce waiting lists, which has taken up beds needed for emergencies.

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