A CLITHEROE woman has hit out at hospital bosses after her operation to treat a hernia was cancelled just minutes before she was due to go into the theatre.

Sheree Osborn was waiting in her gown at the Royal Bolton Hospital when she was told the procedure would not be going ahead due to a lack of beds.

The 45-year-old had been waiting for the operation for 12 months.

Hospital bosses have admitted it was one of five operations cancelled on the day, blaming a large number of urgent cases.

Mrs Osborn lives in Clitheroe but is staying with her partner, Eddie Heaton, aged 51, in Bolton, and is under the care of the Royal Bolton Hospital.

She is mum to Rebecca, aged 28, and grandmother to Sky, aged seven, who she brings up as her own child.

She said: “I am really angry and upset.

“They have let me down and are messing with people’s lives.”

Mrs Osborn suffers from several health problems, including arthritis and asthma, but developed a hernia behind her colostomy bag about a year-and-a-half ago.

She was put on the waiting list for surgery to alleviate the problem this time last year, finally getting her slot for 3pm on Monday.

Mrs Osborn arrived at noon, had pre-operative tests, filled in forms and got into a gown.

She says she was told she would be going to theatre shortly then was informed there were no beds in the High Dependency Unit.

She added: “I can’t believe they have put me through this. Surely they knew earlier than minutes before that there were no beds.

“If I had had more notice, I still would have been angry and upset but would have understood.”

The hospital says 100 other procedures went ahead as planned on the day but two were cancelled due to lack of theatre space, one because there were no beds and the others for medical reasons.

A spokesman said: “There are unfortunately occasions when operations have to be cancelled.

“We have to prioritise urgent cases and on Monday we were particularly busy.

“While we appreciate that patients can be upset, it is important we have theatre space and a place for them after their operation.

“If beds are not available it is because they are being used by patients already at the hospital who are ill and not fit enough to go home.

"There are often peaks in demand which cannot be predicted.”

The trust says it always re-books patients immediately, readmitting them within 28 days.