A MAN suffering from a degenerative spinal condition has hit out at hospital bosses after a pain killing injection was delayed until next year.

Pensioner John Snape, 67, of Lammack, Blackburn, was scheduled to have the injection at the Royal Blackburn Hospital last Wednesday in order to combat pain caused by cervical spondylosis.

Cervical spondylosis creates neck pain and is linked to age-related wear and tear of the vertebrae and discs in the neck region.

Mr snape arived at hospital by car.

But after being told he could not drive home if he went ahead with the injection, he said he had no alternative but to turn down the procedure.

And he now faces having to wait until January to have the injection again.

Up until now, Mr Snape has dealt with the problem by having regular physiotherapy sessions, but when the option of a pain killing injection became available he decided to go ahead with the procedure.

This procedure is known as a cervical epidural and involves an injection of anti-inflammatory medicine to decrease inflammation of the nerve roots, hopefully reducing the pain in the neck.

But Mr Snape, who is a bishop (honor)CORRECT with the Free Episcopalean Church of the United States of America, claimed that on his referral letter from his GP there was no mention of not being able to drive following the procedure.

He said: "I went up there at 8am and at 10.30am they asked me had I got anyone to take me home because I wouldn't be able to drive after the injection.

"That wasn't in the letter and because I'm a widower and my daughter was at work I said I wouldn't have the injection.

"The doctor said I would have to come back in January and I am very angry about it.

"What happened to me is not good enough and it's not just me, it's other people in the borough who maybe haven't got anybody to look-after them and drive them around."

And while he acknowledged that a taxi home could have been an option, he said he was unwilling to leave his car in the car park for a long period of time.

Mr Snape has lived with the condition following an accident in the army 45-years-ago when he was thrown from a jeep and suffered spinal injuries in the accident.

Lynn Greenwood, service manager for outpatient services at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We are very sorry that this patient feels he has been inconvenienced by the hospital, however, it is common practice for us to discuss day case treatments beforehand and for the patient's safety we encourage them to bring someone with them to the hospital who can drive them home after they have had their treatment. We are currently investigating as to why the patient feels this did not happen and will feedback the results of this."