Paul Lovegrove Picture Ref: 76834-03A DAD-OF-TWO lived in fear of a massive heart attack for nine weeks because surgeons were too busy to operate.

Meanwhile, Paul Lovegrove, 43, of Wootton Bassett, was told to keep his stress levels down following a mild heart attack in February.

Mr Lovegrove thought he would have an angioplasty an operation to expand blocked heart arteries within days.

Instead, bosses at Bristol Royal Infirmary kept him waiting for more than two months at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

Yesterday, the Cardinal Health worker finally had surgery.

Mr Lovegrove, who has two children, Matt, 13, and Tom, seven, was last night recovering from the anaesthetic.

But his estranged wife, Debbie, who lives near Lyneham with their children, spoke of her outrage at the shambles.

She said: "It's absolutely diabolical. The doctors in Swindon couldn't let him go home because there was a real risk that he'd suffer a massive heart attack.

"The doctors and nurses at Great Western Hospital were brilliant they were doing their best to keep his spirits up.

"A consultant I spoke to said staff were as frustrated as everyone else. Their hands are tied."

Mrs Lovegrove said the past few months have been unbearable.

"I'm very angry that this has been allowed to happen," she said.

"This ordeal has taken two months out of my husband's life and put the rest of his family under so much stress.

"We all realise that not all operations can be carried out straight away but I'd have thought it would have been done in a couple of weeks maximum."

In a statement, Kate Birch, spokeswoman for Bristol Royal Infirmary part of United Bristol Healthcare Trust apologised to the family.

It reads: "Mr Lovegrove and other patients are unfortunately having to wait a number of weeks for angioplasty and we apologise to all patients in this situation.

"We know that any wait causes anxiety and discomfort and the wait is far longer than we would wish.

"The reason they are having to wait is the increasing pressure on the service.

"We have three fully operational catheter laboratories but the number of patients able to benefit from an angioplasty continues to rise.

"However the situation should improve in the coming months.

"For Swindon patients in particular a new initiative means patients are brought by ambulance to the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

"A consultant from GWH performs the procedure and the patient is then taken back to Swindon for continued care and treatment."

Chris Birdsall, spokesman for Great Western Hospital, said he did not wish to comment on specific cases but agreed that the situation is set to improve.

"In future, similar cases will be done as day surgery in Bristol until such time as we are able to perform the procedure at GWH," he said.

"Hopefully, this should be later in the year."

Kevin Shoesmith