Desperate heart patient paid for operation with bouncing cheque

Local man faced death on Hammersmith Hospital's NHS waiting list

A local man who desperately needed a heart operation wrote a cheque he knew would bounce so that he could go private.

Roy Thayers was warned by Hammersmtih Hospital that could he die whilst waiting for heart surgery on the NHS but he could not afford to pay £6,500 it would be cost to go private.

The 77 old wrote a cheque knowing that by the time it bounced, his operation would be over.  He is now repaying the debt at £25 month.

Mr Thayers told The Sun "I've worked all my life and put money into the system. Why should I die for the sake of money? Life is a great thing and you fight for it. I'd have robbed a bank to save my life.

"I had been having severe heart pains and a specialist found two valves had become blocked. I risked a fatal heart attack at any time. Then I was told there was a nine-month wait.

"The doctor said I could have the operation done privately, but it would cost £6 500. I said, 'I'll have it'. I was in the hospital three days later. I gave them a cheque because I knew it wouldn't clear in time."

The coronary angioplasty which was carried out at Hammersmith Hospital was a success. But w ithin a month the hospital sent letters demanding payment, then threatened to send bailiffs round.

Mr Thayers said "I had to start off paying £150 a month. I only get £470 pension, so I got it reduced to £25. I'll be 99 by the time it's paid."

The crisis-hit Hammersmith Hospitals Trust has seen entire wards closing, thousands of operations postponed and announced over 300 redundancies at the end of last year.  The Trust had a £37 million deficit in the first six months of this financial year which equates to 9% of its total turnover making their deficit the second largest in Britain.

August 2, 2006