A retired pensioner who was facing a nine-month wait for heart surgery managed to get private treatment within days by paying with a worthless cheque.
Roy Thayer’s underwent an emergency life saving operation by writing a no good cheque for a private heart operation.
It was reported that Roy, 77, was warned that the long wait in the NHS list might cost him his life, and he knew that there was no way he could afford to pay for the £6,500 surgery. So he wrote out a cheque for the operation at a private hospital, knowing fully well that by the time it would take to get bounced his life would have been saved, by the emergency procedure. Now he is repaying the debt at an affordable £25 month.Roy who is a divorcee said late last evening, “I’ve worked all my life and put money into the system. Why should I die for the sake of money? Life is a great thing and you fight for it. I’d have robbed a bank to save my life.” Roy who lives alone in Hounslow, West London, further added, “I had been having severe heart pains and a specialist found two valves had become blocked. I risked a fatal heart attack at any time. Then I was told there was a nine-month wait.” He also mentioned that, “The doctor said I could have the operation done privately, but it would cost £6,500. I said, I’ll have it; I was in the hospital three days later. I gave them a cheque because I knew it wouldn’t clear in time.”
The operation, which was a coronary angioplasty at Hammersmith Hospital lasted almost two hours and was a success. Roy who is an two-time divorcee, explained that he did not want to ask his children for help as he became separated from them during a messy divorce, so instead he decided to just sat tight. The hospital authorities then within a month started sending letters demanding payment, and later threatened to send bailiffs round.
The clever, wily, Roy, who is a retired painter and decorator, said, “I had to start off paying £150 a month. I only get £470 pension, so I got it reduced to £25. I’ll be 99 by the time it’s paid.” A hospital spokesman said: “We have done all we can to accommodate Mr. Thayer’s in his financial situation. Waiting lists for his kind of procedure have now been reduced to an average of around three months.”
It was also reported that Mr. Thayer had nursed his first wife as she was dying of cancer, and said there was no way he was going to let the lack of money stop him from enjoying the rest of his days. He believes the Government is at fault for allowing waiting lists to increase and not ensuring pensioners get access to life-saving treatment.
