Cancer patient ‘sent home to die’ after pacemaker snub

Bob Sharples, 74, says he is a victim of cost cutting who has been sent home to die, with officials refusing to fund the procedure because of his “poor prognosis”.

The great-grandfather was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus last August and has since developed a serious heart condition caused by chemotherapy.

Last month he was told his heart is now only working at 20 per cent capacity and he was rushed into Royal Blackburn Hospital on to have a pacemaker fitted.

But he was sent home the next morning after being told he could not have the procedure because of his poor cancer prognosis.

Mr Sharples, who has been given between seven and nine months to live, said: “I feel completely let down by the system.

“Those that are supposed to care for me are telling me they won’t help me because it’s too expensive. If I didn’t have cancer I would be able to have a pacemaker fitted so it’s completely unfair.

“After I was kept in overnight, a consultant told me that fitting it would be too expensive for someone with my condition.

“I feel like they’ve just written me off and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

The former electrician who volunteered as a special policeman for 25 years said the cancer had spread to his liver and he was receiving chemotherapy until October.

The father-of-three from Darwen, near Blackburn, was put on a heart monitor because he was suffering breathlessness and dizziness and last month got a call to attend hospital immediately.

His wife Joan, 63, said: “At first I was so upset and I couldn’t stop crying but then my feelings turned to anger.

“Bob has given so much to the community his whole life and has never asked for anything in return and now nobody is there to help him.

“It seems like the has been sent home to die, but it’s still a life and they should be doing everything they can to prolong it, even if it’s just a few months.”

The couple say they cannot afford to have the pacemaker fitted privately as they are saving for Bob’s funeral.

Darwen MP Jake Berry said: “The hospital should be concentrating on ensuring the patient has the best possible quality of life.”

A spokesman for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said: “All decisions for treatment or intervention are based entirely on clinical need.

“The trust has contacted Mr Sharples and a meeting has been arranged between the consultant and the manager of the cardiology service.”