"Unacceptable and unnecessary delays for my hip replacement- Dewsbury District Hospital"

As I write this it is 36 weeks since my intial consultation for a new hip - the target for hip operations is 18 weeks. I have gone from being a fit, healthy and very active 66 year old to someone in constant pain, unable to sleep and unable to partcipate in anything remotely resembling a normal life for me. I feel that I have been passed from pillar to post, misinformed, misled, overlooked and wholly let down by the NHS. At my original appointment I should have been entered on the list, but due to miscommunication I was not. This was not discovered until I contacted the hospital to find out about my progress. At my second appointment I should have been entered onto the list, but again due to misinformation from my consultant I was not. My operation was finally scheduled for 23rd May and has just been cancelled due to something in my medical records that has been evident since my very first appointment. I am now waiting for further tests which could have been carried out months ago. I should have had a new hip by January 2011 at the latest (to meet the 18 week deadline). I am seriously wondering if it will ever happen. A point to note is that I am more than capable of navigating through the endless processes of the NHS, of communicating effectively and generally taking care of myself - what about those people who are not?