A U.K. grandmother has been waiting 13 years for a hip replacement:
The family of a Gower gran who has been waiting 13 years for a new hip are furious she has apparently been forgotten about.
Sylvia Lott, aged 72, was first referred by her GP to Morriston Hospital in 1993. But after a series of delays because she was not considered fit enough for surgery, she was apparently taken off the waiting list in 2004.
Mrs Lott is virtually wheelchair bound and can only walk a few yards at a time with the help of a frame. But despite desperately hoping for a replacement hip, she has almost given up hope of ever getting one.
Her son, Gordon Austin, said: "My mother has been on the waiting list since she was 60 and is getting very frustrated with all these delays.
Also from the U.K. - a 4-year-old girl with several absessed teeth has been waiting in agony over a month for "urgent" dental care:
Little Nikita Smith has four rotten teeth which have caused huge abscesses in her mouth. Mum Jane says the youngster lies awake in "dreadful pain" and has not been to school since the condition started.
But despite Jane's best efforts, Nikita is still waiting for NHS treatment for a condition which dentists themselves have described as "urgent".
Jane said: "It's awful to see your daughter in so much pain and not be able to do anything about it. No one listens, however loud you shout. NHS dentistry is just a very bad joke."
Single mum Jane, from Bramley, Leeds, first noticed Nikita was in pain in mid January but since then says she has had to battle even to get her daughter seen by a dentist.
First, she tried to get an urgent appointment at her local surgery but was told because Nikita is not registered she could not be seen.
Jane claims her daughter has been on the waiting list to register since she was born.
23 Feb 2006 @ 9:50am