An RAF veteran who has been waiting more than five years for a hernia operation has described the delay as "shocking and unacceptable". Martin Owen, from Swansea, said he is now housebound, in almost constant pain and needs his wife to care for him.
He explained that he has been booked in for at least five pre-op assessments only for the procedure itself to be postponed. The 59-year-old, who was diagnosed with combat PTSD after fighting in the Falklands War and Northern Ireland, admitted that the wait has caused a further deterioration to his mental health.
According to the Welsh Government, 750,283 patient "pathways" are awaiting planned treatment on the Welsh NHS - the 28th month in a row that this list has grown. When these are broken down, there are 589,000 individuals - 19% of the population - who are on a hospital waiting list.
