Retired nurse in her 80s 'removed cyst from own eye' after years waiting for treatment

SHOCKING REPORT DETAILS MANY PATIENTS TAKING MATTERS INTO OWN HANDS DUE TO LONG NHS DELAYS

- By DALE SPRIDGEON

AN elderly woman was driven to remove a cyst from her own eye after waiting years for treatment. The dangerous procedure was revealed in a report looking at the long delays facing people awaiting treatment for conditions in North Wales.

The Citizen Experiences Report, presented during a meeting of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board on Thursday, found frustrated patients were taking matters into their own hands due to long waits for help.

It also described long waits experienced by patients in the emergency departments at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Ysbyty Wrexham Maelor, and Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

Patients waiting up to 36 hours had been reported and "overcrowding, uncertainty, and discomfort" were also "common concerns".

The public consultation had been part of a "listening and understanding" initiative aimed at improving the design and delivery of care and services.

There had been 300 enquiries from MPs and MSs over their constituents’ experiences, with waiting times “the main focus”.

One had described a former nurse, now 84, who had been placed on the ophthalmology waiting list in June 2019, but who had waited around three years until being seen.