Halifax man speaks about being left in agony waiting for hospital treatment

Darren Blackburn could cope with the pain until about a year ago.

The 48-year-old, who lives in Halifax, is one of thousands of people in Yorkshire who have been forced to put their lives on hold while awaiting medical treatment.

Mr Blackburn has stage 4 osteoarthritis and has been waiting for surgery to fuse his ankle bones since January.

While NHS rules state all treatment should take place in 18 weeks or less, only a third of people in the region are treated within that timescale, according to the latest figures.

He said: “There’s no pain relief that a doctor can give you, sometimes it’s agony.

“The pain is a constant nightmare, it makes life a daily battle. It was manageable up to November 2019 but, after then, the steroid injections weren’t working anymore. My ankle joint had probably been bone on bone for about six months prior to this.

“So, the consultant said the final stage is having either a prosthetic ankle or fusion surgery. I chose the fusion because I was told it would eliminate the pain, and if I’d opted for the prosthetic ankle I would’ve been on a longer waiting list.”

Mr Blackburn still has no idea when his surgery will take place.

“I’d probably be recovering now if it weren’t for Covid.”

Prior to this, Mr Blackburn worked as a driver but, due to the strength of his pain medication, he can no longer drive.

He added: “I wonder how people are getting on with treatments like physio, because they will be stuck in the house needing this stuff and the pain can cause a great deal of anxiety and depression.

“I try not to dwell on it, I have down periods and it’s hard, but you can’t dwell on this stuff.

“When it can be done, it can be done. It’s not the best situation though.”

Giving up independence for long periods of time is common for anyone waiting for surgery.