IPSWICH Hospital has apologised after a 70-year-old patient's hernia operation was cancelled at the last minute.Edward Bartlett, of Primrose Hill, Stoke, arrived at hospital at about 7am for his operation just before Christmas.

IPSWICH Hospital has apologised after a 70-year-old patient's hernia operation was cancelled at the last minute.

Edward Bartlett, of Primrose Hill, Stoke, arrived at hospital at about 7am for his operation just before Christmas. He was given a bed and put in a hospital gown, before getting a visit from a consultant who explained the procedure to him.

However at 11.30am, he was told he would have to go home as his operation had been cancelled.

It has now been rescheduled to February 30.

A hospital spokeswoman explained that a cancellation of a planned operation at such short notice is a rarity and was done so because of an emergency.

Mr Bartlett said: “I have had a hernia for about seven years but doctors decided I needed the operation to get it out as it is causing me some pain.

“I was told about a month before when the operation was and I was pleased because I thought it would be out the way for Christmas.

“I was there for hours before they told me that I had to go home.”

Jan Rowsell, a spokeswoman for Ipswich Hospital, said: “What happened was we were overrun with emergency admissions and had a severe problem with finding beds.

“We are very sorry. It falls below the standards we expect of ourselves.

“I'm glad to say that it happens rarely. There have only been a few occasions where we have had to cancel planned operations for those emergency and urgent cases.”