Dad of two 'who felt tired' had tennis ball sized tumour growing inside him

A great-granddad was found with a cancerous tumour the size of a tennis ball after suddenly feeling lethargic.

Ron Sayle was due to have lifesaving surgery on September 25, but on the morning of his operation, medics informed the 79-year-old the procedure was being cancelled due to the lack of intensive care beds amid the Covid-19 second wave.

With the complexity of liver cancer surgery, an ICU bed is required for one night before the operation, but Aintree Hospital was at full capacity, and there was no room.

The dad-of-two, from Frodsham, was rescheduled for another date, nearly a fortnight later, and he underwent a successful operation.

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said Mr Sayle is "one of a small number of cancer patients who experienced last-minute delays to their procedures due to a lack of ICU beds."

A partnership with Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH) now means its clinicians have been performing complex liver cancer operations at the Broadgreen site since the beginning of November.

Because LHCH is a specialist hospital with no A&E department, ICU beds can be guaranteed so there is no risk that operations will be delayed at the last minute, the Trust said.

Mr Sayle said: "The care I received was exceptional, the team couldn’t do enough for me and it was great that they were able to get me back in so quickly.

"I’m now home and on the mend, which was the best birthday present I could’ve asked for.

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"But it was a really difficult time and it brought home to me just how great an impact Covid-19 is having on our NHS.”

The retired chemical plant manager added: "My cancer operation was delayed because of Covid-19 but everyone is affected in one way or another through the restrictions that are in place.

"If everyone does simple things like washing their hands, wearing a face mask when they’re asked to and keeping their distance from people they don’t live with, then hopefully we will all soon be able to get back to normal.”

Mr Stephen Fenwick, lead cancer clinician at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "I am delighted that Ron is doing so well.

"While the vast majority of our cancer surgery has not been affected by COVID-19, for a small number of our most complex patients who require an ICU bed there have regrettably been occasions where our ICU is so busy with very sick patients that we have had to reschedule their operation at short notice.

“By working with Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital we can be certain of our theatre and ICU capacity, which will prevent the kind of last-minute delay that Ron experienced.”