Mr Watkins was in a car crash two years ago

Wheelchair user Gareth Watkins from Cilgerran in Pembrokeshire had travelled for two hours to the University Hospital of Wales to have a pin put in his leg.

But his surgeon told him the operation - which could have helped him walk again - was off because hospital authorities had said there was no funding to treat patients who did not have a Cardiff postcode.

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust has denied funding problems caused the cancellation, and blamed a breakdown in communications within the trust.

Mr Watkins has had 17 operations following a car crash two years ago which left him in hospital for 12 months and unable to walk.

The hierarchy had pulled the funding off [my surgeon] for the next 12 months for anybody who did not have a Cardiff postcode Gareth Watkins

He told BBC Wales: "I went down to the Heath in Cardiff and saw my consultant surgeon.

"He informed me he had all the kit ready to do my leg, ready to pin it.

"He had a bed available, but unfortunately the hierarchy had pulled the funding off him for the next 12 months for anybody who did not have a Cardiff postcode."

Mr Watkins has a hernia on his side which also needs operating on but cannot be mended until his leg operation is done.

"It could burst and that will be the end of me," he added.

Mr Watkins has had 17 operations since his accident

He was expecting to undergo his 18th operation on the same day as the Welsh Assembly Government announced a �10m programme for orthopaedic care was to get the go-ahead.

An orthopaedic team at the University of Wales is regularly used by other health trusts because of their level of specialism.

Commissioning agreements - where one trust buys services from another - normally have to be in place before any operation takes place.

It appears in Mr Watkins' case the formal agreement that secures funding for the Cardiff trust was not completed.

However, as he was already on the hospital's books, he should have had the operation on that day. The trust has apologised to Mr Watkins and has promised to reschedule his operation within the next few weeks.

'Liaising'

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust said in a statement: "We are pleased to confirm that Mr Watkins will receive a new date in the next week for his operation with us.

"We apologise for the inconvenience caused to him by a breakdown in communications within the trust.

"The trust continues to provide orthopaedic care to all patients covered by commissioning agreements with us, regardless of where they live.

"The number of orthopaedic patients referred to us for complex trauma procedures has grown because of the high level of specialism within our consultant team.

"We will be liaising with our colleagues on local health boards to take this forward.