A woman who is caring for her terminally ill husband while herself suffering from chronic pain has been left distraught after her operation was one of hundreds postponed in Glasgow.

Isobel Stewart's daughter Lesley has hit out at 'bad management' in the NHS as her mum's hip replacement surgery was cancelled due to lack of equipment.

The 76-year-old had been preparing for the surgery for weeks and had organised carers for her terminally ill husband William who is receiving palliative care at home.

But just before she was about to be admitted, her operation was cancelled due to a lack of equipment, leaving her distraught and 81-year-old William worried the stress of it all will kill her.

Lesley said: ""It's down to bad management and outsourcing things and things not been done right and nobody being held to account.

"It's horrific, she really needs it done.

"There is a loose wire inside her that is hitting flesh so it needs done and even mentally for her to get her head round that and know she is finally going to be out of pain but she will also be leaving her husband who could die at any time and that is the stage we are at.

"If you can imagine looking after someone that is terminally ill when you are really ill and suffering from chronic pain."

A total of 324 surgery operations due to take place in Glasgow have been postponed after safety inspectors closed a decontamination unit, which cleans and sterilises millions of surgical instruments, on Friday.

Other health boards stepped in to help but have been unable to meet demand.

The NHS say that the unit at Cowlairs will re-open as soon as the various tests and checks have been completed an re-certification is obtained from auditors.

Lesley said her mum was 'hysterical' after hearing the news that her operation had been postponed and has been left literally shaking with the pain she is in.

She continued: "My mum's stomach can't take the painkillers anymore and I see her some days and she is shaking with the pain so she really needs this operation and she finally thought she was there.

"And now my dad who is dying is looking at my wee mum thinking well is she just going to die and have a heart attack with the pain because she does have palpitations and chest pains, so is that just going to kill her before she gets another date?"

"He says 'that wee woman is in so much pain looking after me it is going to kill her.

"If the operation is quick she might make it, but she could herself die with a heart attack as the human body can only take so much before it gives out and at 76 with the pressure she is under and the pain she is living with you would need to see it to believe it, she is shaking with pain.

"My mum and dad are coming to the end of their life and you just want to see them get a wee bit of peace, you don't want to see them leave the world in pain."

In a statement a spokesperson for the health service said: "In order to prioritise emergency, trauma and urgent cases, we have now regrettably had to postpone 324 operations that were scheduled to take place between last Friday and yesterday.

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"We are very sorry for the inconvenience and concern that this will have caused and are writing to the patients affected."