Widow has to wait 18 months for scan (From Barry And District News)

Widow has to wait 18 months for scan

A 61-YEAR-OLD woman who has been housebound since she suffered a back injury is facing an 18-month wait for an MRI scan.

The widow, who has to sleep in a chair, contacted the Barry and District News after reading last week's front page story about a father-of-two who is waiting in agony for a similar scan.

The woman has no family in the area - her nearest relatives live in Devon, and her daughter lives in Manchester, so she needs help from carers at home.

She said: "I have been told that I have to wait 18 months for an MRI scan to discover the extent of my injury. I think it is terrible that I could pay 500 and get a scan straight away - but I cannot afford to do that. Why can't I have one as quickly on the NHS?

"I am on several pain killers which are morphine-based so that I can bear the pain."

The retired care worker also has osteoporosis, which means her bones are prone to breakage. She cannot lead a normal life and has had to camp downstairs because she cannot manage the stairs.

The injury came out of the blue when she was hoovering one day. She felt a pain but did not realise its severity until later.

A spokesperson for the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust said: "We are unable to comment on individual cases. All referrals to the scanning services are assessed by the Consultant Radiologists using the Clinical information provided by the GPs and then prioritised.

"In an attempt to reduce the time some patients have to wait for scanning, the Trust has implemented several initiatives over the last few months which have improved the situation. These have included scanners being operated up to 12 hours a day and extra sessions including some Sunday working. The impact of these initiatives should result in a seven month reduction in the waiting time by April.