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Winston Baldwin, 72, is now struggling to even walk or go to the toilet after falling victim to the delays. The NHS has apologised for hold-up at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Cheshire.
The pensioner was due to go under the knife there in February 2020, after developing the hernia following a bowel operation in the previous year.
It was delayed and then the pandemic struck, Stoke-on-Trent Live reports.
Since then, Winston has been given a corset to support his back but the hernia grew significantly in size.
“When I walk a yard from the phone to the table I’m out of breath – it’s just been getting worse,” the farmer, from Oakhanger, Cheshire, said.
“I can’t go to the bog and having a poo is scary.
“I’m just surviving now and it’s not good at all. I want to work on my farm, I just want my life back. I’d go anywhere for treatment from Madrid to Lagos.
“I have been told an operation could be life-threatening – but this pain is life-threatening too.”
Photos taken at Winston’s bedside in hospital show the huge size of his hernia.
He grimaces in agony in one picture taken recently.
The NHS says it is starting to prioritise other procedures now that the number of Covid-19 patients is slowly declining.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Leighton Hospital, said: “We are unable to comment in detail about individual patients due to confidentiality reasons but would like to emphasise that we take any issues raised regarding a patient’s care very seriously.
“We are currently looking into this matter and will continue to liaise with Mr Baldwin directly about his ongoing care and treatment.
“Throughout the pandemic we have continued to provide urgent and cancer treatment, but high levels of Covid-19 activity unfortunately resulted in delays for routine planned care, which we apologise for.
“Now that the number of coronavirus cases has reduced, our staff are working hard to restore services and safely treat patients as quickly as possible according to clinical need.”
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