Brain operation cancelled by blunt scissors halt brain operation

A women who had been waiting for brain surgery for two years had her operation cancelled at the last minute because a pair of surgical scissors were blunt.

Gill Taylor, 46, of Fairyland in Neath, South Wales, has been waiting for treatment since she collapsed with a brain haemorrhage in 1996.

Mrs Taylor was due to have two enlarged blood vessels removed on Wednesday at the Morriston Hospital in Swansea. However, a senior doctor decided that he could not perform the operation because the scissors he would have to use were too blunt.

Mrs Taylor is now waiting to be re-admitted.

Her husband, Norman, 50, said, "I cannot believe a hospital carries out no regular checks on its surgical equipment and that there are no spares."

Mrs Taylor said: "We are stuck in limbo worrying ourselves sick until we get another date."