A CANCER sufferer who had two operations cancelled at Maidstone Hospital is now having the surgery.

Ian Henshaw, 59, of East Brabourne, near Ashford, was due to have complex surgery to treat cancer of the oesophagus on October 22.

He spent Sunday night at Maidstone Hospital in preparation for the operation, but was only told it had been cancelled a few hours before it was due to take place.

His family spoke out as it was the second time in eight days the surgery had been cancelled, and without the operation, Mr Henshaw would have to complete another course of chemotherapy.

His daughter, Kate, 21, said the family were "praying the surgery did not get cancelled again".

A spokesman for the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, which runs Maidstone Hospital, said Mr Henshaw was being operated on on Thursday morning.

Mr Henshaw’s case was taken up with health minister, Ann Keen, on Tuesday by Maidstone and Weald MP Ann Widdecombe.

Miss Widdecombe urged the hospital trust to carry out the surgery or arrange for it to be done elsewhere.

The hospital spokesman said Mr Henshaw’s operation was cancelled because there were not enough critical care nurses available on the two occasions he was due to have surgery.

The spokesman added: "A bed was kept empty for Mr Henshaw on October 22, but it was then needed for a critically ill patient. We can add an extra bed when necessary but we were unable to find additional nurses.

"The operations were not cancelled due to lack of funds, but we would like to apologise to the family for the cancellations."