Plumber with shattered arm left horrifically bent out of shape has operation 'cancelled four times'



A plumber whose arm was left twisted grotesquely out of shape in an accident ten months ago has had an operation to correct it 'cancelled four times'.

Torron Eeles, 50, has been left unable to work since falling down the stairs and now fears he may lose his home after being denied incapacity benefit.

The father-of-three today hit out at the NHS for the 'unacceptable delays', but East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust said Mr Eeles had his operation cancelled on 'only' two occasions on clinical safety grounds.



His left arm has hung limply by his side since he fractured the humerus bone in December 2008.



Mr Eeles, from Welham Green, Hertfordshire, applied for employment and support allowance but a doctor ruled he is ineligible for both because he can turn on a tap.

'Unacceptable': Torron Eeles has been left unable to work since falling down the stairs and now fears he may lose his home after being denied incapacity benefit

He said: 'This whole situation is absolutely disgusting. I have never heard of anyone else having a broken arm for ten months.

'It's been so long the bones have knitted back together. Sleeping is really uncomfortable because whenever I roll over my arm gets in the way.



'I'm a kitchen fitter and plumber by trade but I can't even slice a loaf of bread let alone work.



'This has been going on and on and it's a complete nightmare.'

Mr Eeles fractured his arm on December 3 and was rushed straight to casualty where doctors put his arm in plaster.

But within a few weeks a specialist said the bones were too far apart and that surgeons would have to insert a metal plate because there was too much movement in the arm.



Mr Eeles claims his first two operations at the Queen Elizabeth II hospital in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, were cancelled due to a lack of beds and operating time respectively.



His third operation in February was postponed after he was found to have high blood pressure, while the fourth, scheduled for May, was abandoned because of concerns about his smoking.

The plaster was removed from Mr Eeles' arm after three months and he was given a wrist sling, which he branded 'totally useless'.



'Complete nightmare': Mr Eeles claims the NHS has cancelled an operation to correct his grotesquely broken arm 'four times'

He said: 'My arm just flops about but the sling wasn't doing anything. The plaster didn't make a blind bit of difference after a couple of weeks either.



'How the Jobcentre can say I'm fit I don't know. I was on incapacity benefit until a few weeks ago when I went to be assessed by a doctor in Luton.



'He said because I can turn on a tap and I can lift my arm I don't qualify for help.



'Now I'm worried about losing my house. I've got a mortgage on it and there are credit cards debts I'm struggling to pay because I can't work.'



Nick Carver, the chief executive of the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, insisted computer records showed the trust had only cancelled two operations and that proceeding with the operations could have put Mr Eeles's life at risk.



Mr Carver said: 'Mr Eeles' operation was cancelled only twice - and then both on clinical safety grounds.



'The first time was back in February when his blood pressure was found to be high.



'As his surgery was not an emergency, our surgeons took the right action in referring Mr Eeles to his GP so his blood pressure could be brought under control.



'His second operation in May 2009 was also cancelled, this time because he had failed to act on our surgeon's advice that Mr Eeles that he should give up smoking.



'In cancelling Mr Eeles' two operation dates, our surgeons were acting on clinical grounds only.



'If they are guilty of anything, then it is of having the best clinical interests of their patients at heart.'