Delay patient refuses treatment

Mr Buchanan blames hospital management

A heart patient who had life-saving surgery cancelled on five occasions has refused to go back to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.

Graeme Buchanan, 61, walked out of the hospital after he felt his sixth operation was in jeopardy.

Mr Buchanan, from Glenrothes, said the situation has left him angry and frustrated and blamed the hospital's management.

The hospital said the delay was purely down to a temporary lack of beds.

Mr Buchanan said: "I'm angry, I'm disappointed, I hoped to be done and dusted for Christmas but it's not to happen.

Intensive care

"I understand that some people take longer than others to heal, but from the 22nd of October when my first cancellation was to a week past Friday is not temporary.

"That appears to be long-term in my opinion and I blame management, definitely not the nursing staff. The surgical team were first class, bed management, it's all down to bed management."

A hospital spokeswoman said that as a major cardiac centre it could see complex cases which lead to longer post-operative stays in intensive care.

"Presently, a small number of cardiac intensive care beds are occupied by patients requiring this high level of care," she said.

"It is sometimes difficult to anticipate exactly when a patient is going to be well enough to move to the next stage of care."