A south Wales woman who is in remission from breast cancer has told BBC Wales she was left in a state of uncertainty after her annual check-up was postponed twice.

The 71-year-old, identified only as Joy, said she was told staff shortages at the clinic in the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff were to blame.

I would liked to have known that everything was all right before Christmas Cancer patient Joy

Her complaint is the latest in a series of reports of medical delays at Welsh hospitals to be brought to the attention of BBC Wales over the past few weeks.

Several patients have told of operations being postponed by the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, south Wales.

And only last week, the University Hospital of Wales announced it was halting non-urgent in-patient surgery until February in an effort to cope with the annual winter crisis.

The case of grandmother Joy has thrown the hospital into the spotlight once again.

The widow underwent surgery and radiotherapy to treat breast cancer nine years ago.

Breasts have to be checked for tumour recurrence

Now she needs an annual check-up to ensure the cancer has not returned.

But this year's appointment - due for September - was postponed to November and then again to January 2003.

She was told that a shortage of doctors at the clinic was the reason for the postponements.

The hospital authorities have said they do not comment on individual cases, but would encourage Joy to use the official complaints procedure to make sure her concerns were investigated thoroughly.

We have to recognise that there is a huge pressure on the health service, and winter is the time that it really does hit home Health Minister Jane Hutt

Joy is unhappy that she has had to wait so long for her check-up.

"Eighteen months is a long time to wait for a bit of reassurance," she told BBC Radio Wales.

"It is the uncertainty - having lost two brothers to cancer, I think it makes you more aware.

"I would liked to have known that everything was all right before Christmas."

She said her experience had left her feeling disillusioned with the National Health Service.

"I've worked all my life and paid my stamp, as did my late husband, but I just don't think we are getting value for money in some parts of the health service," she said.

Extra emergencies

Health Minister Jane Hutt said on Monday that although hospitals in Wales were experiencing difficulties as a result of winter pressures, efforts were being made to ease the situation.

"We have to recognise that there is a huge pressure on the health service, and winter is the time that it really does hit home," she said.

Mrs Hutt said the Welsh Assembly Government had agreed an additional £7m should be put into health and social service facilities this winter to alleviate the problems.

Last week, medical directors at UHW took action to cope with the additional pressures brought by winter weather.

They announced all non-urgent in-patient surgery appointments were being postponed, and no such operations would be carried out until February.

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, which runs the teaching hospital, said the decision had been taken to avoid last-minute cancellations.

Day surgery appointments remained unaffected.