A PENSIONER has hit out at the NHS — after waiting 21 weeks for "urgent treatment".

After being taken ill while visiting friends in Coventry Rita Fairhurst was put in isolation suffering with e-coli, biliary sepsis and multiple gallstones in her bile duct.

She was discharged from University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire two weeks later on July 1 last year to be reviewed by her local gastroenterology team.

But the 82-year-old only received treatment at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh hospital on November 11, despite being rushed in to hospital by her partner Peter Finch, in the months leading up to her treatment.

Mrs Fairhurst of The Welland in Westhoughton said: "On the discharge document from Coventry it said that treatment was urgent — but I waited 21 weeks.

"What has happened to our heath service?

"That is not urgent. I was in a lot of pain and I've lost about four stone because of it.

"The people who looked after me were great, they do a great job under every day pressure but there are not enough doctors or nurses.

"We have got to a stage now where we are frightened to get ill."

Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow health secretary, said: "The problem that we have got with the NHS at the moment is that hospitals are basically full because there are too many people ending up in hospital that really shouldn't have ended up there — but they can't get home quickly enough and the consequence of that is it is piling pressure on all of the services.

"The system is at its very limits at the moment and Rita's case is just another sign of how far the NHS has dropped."

Mrs Fairhurst has to receive ongoing treatment every six months.

Labour candidate for Bolton West Julie Hilling said: "If you can't rely on your NHS then who can you rely on?

"Patients and staff are being let down by the NHS system.

"People are frightened of getting poorly and it is just not acceptable."

A spokesperson for Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are unable to comment publicly about Mrs Fairhurst’s treatment, as we are bound by patient confidentiality.

"Although we have not been contacted by Mrs Fairhurst or her family, we would encourage them to contact us in order to discuss this matter further.

"We listen to all comments and concerns expressed by our patient and/or their relatives and aim to respond sympathetically and constructively."