Socialized Medicine: 10 Months With A Broken Arm

Torron Eeles, 50, fractured the humerus bone in his upper left arm after falling down the stairs at home in December 2008 and has been incapacitated ever since. His arm, twisted out of shape, hangs limply by his side, meaning he cannot work for a living and now faces the prospect of losing his home. "This whole situation is absolutely disgusting. I have never heard of anyone else having a broken arm for 10 months," the father-of-three said. Mr Eeles fractured his arm on December 3 and rushed straight to casualty where doctors put his arm in plaster. But within a few weeks a specialist said the bones were too far apart and there was too much movement in the arm – meaning surgeons would have to insert a metal plate. He claims his first two operations at the Queen Elizabeth II hospital in Welwyn Garden City, Herts., were cancelled due to a lack of beds and operating time respectively. His third operation in February was postponed after he was found to have high blood pressure, while the fourth, scheduled for May, was abandoned because of concerns about his smoking. He removed the plaster after around three months and was given a wrist sling, which he branded ''totally useless''...read more