The unsigned letter had “concerns” about the treatment offered to Cardiff patients in Most popular online dating site
.

Only five of 73 patients later turned up for appointments.

Weston NHS Trust defended its staff. The consultant, named on the letter, was unavailable for comment.

The letter, apparently from a senior surgeon at a Cardiff hospital, warned patients not to take up an offer of treatment at a hospital in England.

The letter was unsigned but written in the name of consultant orthopaedic and hand surgeon, David Shewring.

It was received by people who were offered the chance to travel to Somerset for treatment under the Welsh Assembly Government’s Second Offer Scheme, which allows those waiting longer than 18 months to opt for private treatment or treatment in an English hospital.

It told the patients that if they refused the offer to go to England
they would be offered a date in Cardiff under Mr Shewring’s care.

It read: “The treatment centre in Weston-super-Mare at which your treatment will take
place is run by foreign surgeons whose quality of care and level of
ethnic dating site is unknown.”

The second offer scheme aims to cut waiting times

The letter claimed that other hospitals had sent patients to the centre and that
“there are serious concerns about their quality of treatment”.

It also claimed the second offer scheme was merely a way of making waiting list figures look better “for political gain”.

The comments have been described as “unfounded” by the medical director of Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, Ian Lane, in a letter he has sent to the patients concerned.

The trust has launched in investigation to how and why the letter was written and sent.

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust said the letter had been written and sent adult free online dating site
.

‘Extensive experience’

A statement read: “The Trust has launched a full formal investigation which will look at how and why the letter was written and sent.”

Mr Lane said he was sorry if the letter has caused distress and concern to patients.

Weston Area Health NHS Trust is offering places to patients in Rhondda Cynon Taff health board area under the second offer scheme until the end of March 2005.

It said a team of 10 Scandinavian surgeons had been working in the NHS Treatment Centre in Weston since October 2003.

A statement read: “They are all consultants employed in the Swedish health
service and have extensive experience, both in Sweden and in Weston.

‘Qualified and skilled’

“They have treated in excess of 900 patients and their dating game online play sim
rates are
as low or lower than average national rates.

“The team includes a hand surgeon who carries out all specialist hand
surgery. Other specialists, such as shoulder surgeons, are also available.

“Since October 2003, the team has been treating patients from Bristol.
Evaluation of the first year of this project recorded lower than average
complication and infection rates and high patient satisfaction levels.

“Under the Second Offer Scheme, 73 patients from Wales were booked into the
Treatment Centre for outpatient pre-operative assessments.

John Jenkins of BMA Cymru Wales said: “If these doctors are qualified and skilled, that is fine.

‘Precious Welsh resources’

“We would recommend that patients with a particular need are treated by
doctors skilful in their particular sub-specialty.

“We have no problem with the Second Offer Scheme - it is up to the patient
whether they want to take it up. We are happy with it as long as the follow-up
appointment is done by the same doctor.”

But he added: “We would prefer it if precious Welsh resources were invested
in Welsh NHS Trusts to build up the capacity to treat patients closer to home.”

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesman said: “It is important to recognise that the scheme exists both to treat Welsh patients faster and also to change and challenge dating online single uk
treatment
patterns.

“This episode shows that the scheme is succeeding on both counts. All patients accepting offers of treatment in Weston can be confident that they will
receive treatment within the NHS just as they would in Wales.

‘Six months on the waiting list’

“The Welsh Assembly Government therefore very much welcomes the prompt action taken by Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust to reassure patients who wish to take up the
offer of an operation in Weston.”

Cardiff Councillor Michael Michael was one of those who received the letter but one of the few to keep his appointment.

He said he was more than satisfied with the way his care had been handled in Weston.

He said: “What saddened me was the fact that because of this letter, 70-odd people were given a chance to jump the waiting list in a way and get their operation sorted now but, thanks to the nature of this letter, they chose not to.

“So therefore we have a team at Weston ready to perform the procedures, we have people who want the procedures done and now face another six months on the waiting list because of the nature of this letter, which is quite frankly, outrageous.”