The wife of a 50-year-old blind man with serious mobility issues says she feels “angry and let down” after their hospital cancelled an appointment without telling them.
Elizabeth Woolley took her husband Lee to North Middlesex hospital on Wednesday (February 15) for a scheduled appointment.
Her husband, who was forced to retire because of his medical issues, is blind and has multiple disabilities, including microvascular disease and severely ulcerated legs.
Neither can drive had to make the journey by public transport, only to be told there was no doctor there to see him.
Mrs Woolley claimed that she was given no prior notice of the appointment’s cancellation, which she described as a “great, fat inconvenience”.
She said: “My husband is very slow on his legs and his balance is not good at all.
“I don’t drive and it’s always one hell of a job getting him on public transport because of his disabilities.
“North Mid has let him down. I’m so frustrated and angry and let down."
Mr and Mrs Woolley, who live between Tottenham and Wood Green, are regularly sent to appointments at a private hospital in Highgate – an even longer journey than the trip to the North Mid.
This is due to a lack of doctors at North Mid, according to Mrs Woolley.
She added: “I work as well as look after my husband because I have a mortgage and other bills to pay.
“I cannot afford to give up work. I feel so very, very let down and so does he."
Dr Nnenna Osuji, chief executive of North Mid, said: “North Mid is committed to ensuring all patients receive the best possible care and treatment.
“If we need to make any changes to appointments, we aim to let patients know as soon as possible.
“I am sorry that we were not able to inform Mrs Woolley about changes to her husband’s appointment before they arrived at the hospital.
“We have spoken with Mrs Woolley and the appointment will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
“We continue to work collaboratively with our partners across north central London to increase our capacity to ensure patients are seen as quickly as possible.”
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