A second patient waiting for a vital operation to remove a suspected cancerous growth has spoken out after his surgery was delayed until the New Year because of a shortage of beds.

Christopher Morgan, from Portskewett near Chepstow, was diagnosed with a tumour in his bile duct by doctors at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.

The way things are at the moment my family and I are having a worrying time over this Christopher Morgan

He was first admitted to the hospital in November and told that surgery was needed to remove the growth and discover if it was malignant.

However, after returning to the hospital on 11 December, he was told his operation had to be postponed because of a lack of intensive care beds.

He is now calling for dedicated intensive care beds for surgical cases to be made available to the Royal Gwent Hospital.

"In some of the bigger hospitals they have intensive care beds devoted to surgical and emergency patients," he said.

"This means that if people are booked in for surgery for cases like mine, they are guaranteed a bed.

David Thompson has had his op cancelled four times

"The way things are at the moment my family and I are having a worrying time over this.

"I don't think this Christmas is going to be the most enjoyable for any of us," he said.

Mr Morgan, has spoke out just a day after David Thompson from New Inn near Pontypool, revealed a similar operation had been cancelled four times.

"I think that mine and Mr Thompson's case is just the tip of the iceberg," said Mr Morgan.

"This issue should have been addressed a long time ago.

"Seventeen years ago, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer and the treatment was done straight away.

"I didn't have time to sit and think about it like I have this time.

You can tell just by talking to the staff that they are frustrated with the situation Christopher Morgan

"I go to bed at night and lie there turning things over in my head until the early hours - it is so worrying," he said.

Mr Morgan said staff at the hospital had also expressed frustration.

"The care I had at the hospital has been second to none and the doctors and nurses just wanted to get the job done," he said.

"You can tell just by talking to them that they are frustrated with the situation.

"I am waiting to be seen early in the New Year but who knows if there will be an intensive care bed available then," he added.

Demands

A spokesman for the Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust said: "Postponing an operation is something we always try not to do but sometimes it is inevitable because of the ever-increasing demands of emergencies on resources and beds.

"Patients whose surgery requires access to an intensive care bed are having to be postponed because the beds are simply not available.

"Anyone who has their operation postponed will be treated as quickly as possible," he said.