A family has lost £800 after a crucial heart operation was cancelled days before the surgery was set to go ahead.
Lisa Howells had booked an apartment close to Bristol Royal Infirmary so she could be by her husband Ricky's bedside while he underwent a high-risk surgery.
The 38-year-old had also arranged for friends to take care of the couple's two children.
Perry Court School's primary and nursery playground burnt down by arsonists
But days before the valve replacement was scheduled to take place, the family were devastated after receiving a phone call to say the op had been cancelled because there were not enough intensive care beds.
Ricky had already undergone a day of pre-operation probes and because the news came so close to the planned date it was too late to get a refund for accommdation.
"This is money we don't really have," said Lisa.
"I wanted to be near to support him. Getting someone to look after our kids was hard.
"I'm not sure I'll be able to go next time.
More than one-in-10 families miss out on first choice primary school
"We can't afford to lose any more money and I don't know If I'll be able to get anyone to watch our kids.
"It's quite a big operation, we were looking forward to getting it out the way and carrying on with our lives.
"Any operation carries risks and this is one on the heart."
Ricky currently suffers from breathlessness and other respiratory issues caused by his heart condition.
A University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson has apologised for the inconvenience.
He said: “We sincerely apologise for the frustration that has been caused by this situation.
How this Bristol mum turned her play ideas into thriving PlayPROMPTS business
“The decision to postpone an operation is never taken lightly as we appreciate the distress and inconvenience this causes patients and their families.
“Our cardiac surgery service has to respond to high levels of demand and emergency situations. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that some operations have to be rescheduled and we have to do this taking into account the clinical urgency.
"We work hard to ensure any cancelled operations are rearranged as soon as possible.”
