Mum to pay for daughter's back op

A 91-YEAR-OLD mother is offering to use her savings to pay privately for her daughter's back operation.

Mary Moloney, who lives in sheltered housing in Ipswich, plans to pay for her daughter's £8,000 spinal treatment because she can not bear to see her suffer waiting for up to six months.

Mrs Moloney, a former school worker, said: "You pay insurance and you work hard, I can not understand why this is happening. What is it coming to that my daughter has had to go through this?''

Her daughter 55-year-old Margaret Andrews is constantly in pain, and can only walk a few yards. She needs an operation on a disc on her spine to release trapped nerves.

Shop assistant Mrs Andrews, who is currently off work on sick leave and lives at Primrose Hill in Ipswich, said: "I can't walk more than a few yards, my leg gives way and I am in constant pain. It's been like that for a year.

"I'm constantly on pain killers and up half the night, I can't sleep. Privately I can have it done at the end of the month.

"The operation will make things better and take the pain from my leg. I'm really touched by mum's generosity, but I feel guilty. I feel I should not have to touch her money," she added.

A spokeswoman for Ipswich Hospital said: "We have two specialist consultant spinal surgeons who serve a population of over one million people - that includes east and west Suffolk and north Essex.

"Each year they receive 1,500 new referrals. The whole department works incredibly hard to make sure people are treated as quickly as possible.

"In this particular case, Mrs Andrews was assessed to be a priority case and was advised that people who have the condition she has would receive their operation within four to six months of being seen.

"If she has special pain, the advice is to go back to the GP and ask them to contact the surgeon, because we would need to review the case."