A GRANDMOTHER who successfully beat oral cancer two years ago has been left unable to walk unassisted by a procedure that failed to reconstruct her jawbone.

Diagnosed in August 2016, Diana Doyle was expecting to be walking and eating again, as well as returning to three jobs, following a procedure that used six inches of bone from her left calf to rebuild her jaw after a malignant tumour was removed.

While Mrs Doyle - whose case has been taken up by Clwyd West MP David Jones - is now in remission, a 33 session course of radiotherapy across a six and half week period eroded the grafted bone, leaving her with no upper jaw with added complications of causing a deformity in her leg which she alleges is due to six months of cancelled treatment.

Mrs Doyle, 59 of Kinmel Bay, said: “There is no way on earth that my rehabilitation should have taken two years, l was hoping to be back to normal, walking, eating and back at work by the end of 2017, which is the impression l was originally given at my first maxillofacial consultation.

"That the radiotherapy would completely destroy the bone was never relayed to me otherwise I would have chosen an alternative. I expected to have teeth again by now."

Mrs Doyle's complaints against Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) including cancelled surgeries and appointments, receiving just one appointment following the graft and dissatisfaction with the quality of care in various wards and lack of a bed space in Glan Clwyd hospital.

In a January letter in response to Mr Jones, executive medical director and deputy chief executive of BCUHB Dr Evan Moore writes: “I was very sorry to learn of Mrs Doyle’s experience and would like to thank you for taking the time to bring Mrs Doyle’s family’s complaint to our attention, as this provides us with valuable insight into what is happening in our hospitals and can assist us to im prove the services we deliver to our patients.

“The investigation into this complaint has concluded that there is no qualifying liability on this occasion. This conclusion is not meant in any way to lessen the distress and anxiety caused to Mrs Doyle by her experience, for which I am genuinely sorry, but I have been assured that he care was reasonable and the treatment she received was appropriate."

Mrs Doyle responded: “Since that letter, all the health board have done is pass me about different hospitals – I started out in Glan Clwyd and now I’ve been to Bangor, Llandudno, the Royal Alex and Wigan. I just feel like they’ve forgotten about me. I am no further on now than l was on the day of my surgery."

Mrs Doyle, originally of Manchester and a grandmother to 10, is unable to eat food unless it is pureed and has to use a straw to drink, and has began to notice her nose collapsing due to the lack of supporting bone.

She added: “l cannot even kiss anyone, my children or grandchildren, the two youngest will not come anywhere near me as l look scary and l can see why they think that. People l have known for years do not recognise me anymore, including my manager of six years."

The removal of bone from her leg for the unsuccessful reconstruction has caused a deformity in which her left heel is permanently raised more than three inches from the floor.

Mrs Doyle, who before treatment worked at B&M in Rhyl, as well as a cleaner in Santander and for an elderly couple in Kinmel Bay, has been unable to return to work since December 2016.

She claims that throughout all her hospital appointments, she received no concerns with her continued inability to walk and reliance on crutches, and that a result of six months without follow up appointments led to the discovery in November 2017 that her leg was past the point of effective treatment.

Mrs Doyle said: “When I finally saw the consultant, I was told me that it had been left too long and there was nothing he could do. He also told me l would just have to be glamorous and wear heels all the time.

"The way I feel about my foot is that if it cannot be fixed l would rather have it amputated, because with a prosthetic foot l could learn to walk again and at least get some normality back in my life."

While she is still waiting for a plan of action for her leg, she has recently had two teeth removed by a dentist in Liverpool to facilitate the use of tools in the hopes that cheek implants could allow her some hope to being able to eat once again.

Mrs Doyle said: "I am fed up of having to lodge complaints to get things moving, my life has now been on hold for two years."

BCUHB have been approached for further comment.