A man has blasted the NHS after his 90-year-old mum's appointment was cancelled due to the Queen's funeral. Some NHS appointments have been scrapped due to a newly scheduled bank holiday on Monday, September 19, for the late monarch's funeral.
The sudden cancellations have caused outrage amongst those in need - with many having already waited weeks to be seen due to long waiting lists. Paul Patrick, 67, is furious after his mum, Ida, was left in tears when she received a phone call to say her hospital appointment had been cancelled.
Paul was due to take her to Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, West Midlands, next Monday for a follow-up after her recent hospital stay - where doctors had been very concerned about her health. She has now had the appointment cancelled and not rescheduled, leaving her distraught and her son livid.
Retired headteacher Paul - who lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but had travelled to Birmingham to help his mother with her hospital appointments - said: "My ma is very upset and I’m incandescent with rage. Ma was admitted to hospital a few weeks back.
"They were very worried about her because she was losing weight and was dehydrated, so they had quite a quick follow-up for her on Monday. She's been worrying about it for a long time.
"On Monday (September 12), I tried to phone to see if it was still going ahead, and yesterday I was on the phone for 85 minutes waiting to get through and all they could say was they weren't sure if it was being cancelled. Ma was in a right state and then they phoned yesterday afternoon to say it was cancelled and they don't know when it will be.
"Ma is devastated. She's not in good health, she's 90, she's very, very frail, and not in a good frame of mind. My father died two years ago so she's still mourning him too.
"It's been traumatic for her. I'm not a monarchist, but my mother is, and I just think it's appalling. These are vulnerable people and those appointments should be going ahead.
"I have friends who have cancer appointments cancelled for next Monday too. It's about respect for people like my mother who have paid in all their lives and like the Royal family, yet they're the victims on Monday.
"This is not respecting my mother - this is cancelling everything for protocol and there's nothing that says that vulnerable people should suffer because of the protocol for a new King and the burial of a Queen."
A letter to all NHS organisations, sent from NHS England on Saturday, stated: "For patients with planned appointments that may be affected by the day of the funeral, please ensure they are informed in advance of any changes by utilising direct patient communications. Where planned appointments are going ahead it will also be important to confirm this is the case."
A spokesperson for the NHS in England said earlier this week: "As with any bank holiday, NHS staff will work to ensure that urgent and emergency services, including urgent dental and GP appointments, are available - and patients will be contacted by their local trusts, if necessary, regarding their existing appointments. Covid vaccination services, particularly in care homes, are being asked to continue their work given the importance of protecting people ahead of winter and the public should access NHS services in the usual way, including through 111 online or 999 in an emergency."
