A "DISGUSTED" Catshill pensioner fears he may be dead before he gets a vital knee replacement after discovering he could face a wait of up to 18 months for surgery.
Kenneth Hickie, of Golden Cross Lane, has arthritis in his legs, hands, arms and neck and while he can get about with a walking stick his left knee is getting gradually worse.
The 72-year-old saw a consultant at Birmingham's Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, at Woodlands, where he was told about the waiting list.
Now Mr Hickie believes he could become housebound before he receives the treatment if his knee continues to deteriorate.
He said: "Nurses and staff at the hospital have been wonderful but their hands are tied because there is no money available in the health service.
"I was disgusted when I heard how long the wait could be - at my age I could be dead before I receive my new knee."
A spokesman for the Royal Orthopaedic Trust which runs the hospital said: "The waiting list should be between three and 12 months but operations are done on clinical priority."
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