Thousands of people in Greater Manchester have had their healthcare put on hold by the coronavirus crisis.

The pandemic has hit the NHS hard, with waiting lists spiralling in recent months as hospitals deal with the pandemic.

The British Medical Association and the NHS Confederation has already warned of a huge backlog of patients waiting for routine operations, diagnostics and treatments.

More than 4000 people had been waiting more than a year for routine procedures, such as hip operations, at the end of June in Greater Manchester.

That compares to 2,013 in May, and just 20 in the same month in 2019.

Behind these statistics are people living in pain, they are unable to work and they are struggling to carry out simple daily tasks because of their restricted mobility.

Patients have told the M.E.N how the uncertainty is impacting on their mental health.

Lisa Dissington, from Chadderton, has suffered with severe back problems for the last 20 years and relies on botox injections every six months to stabilise her bladder.

Lisa is also at risk of paralysis due to bulging disks in her back, as well as a perineural cyst, and had been due to have an MRI scan before Covid hit the UK.

The botox, the MRI and tests on her lungs have all been put on hold.

At the moment Lisa, a former health care assistant, has no idea when her appointments will go ahead.

“I am in no way complaining about the Royal Oldham,” Lisa says of her local hospital.

“A lot of my friends are nurses and I know how hard they’ve been working, especially during Covid.

“I used to be an HCA myself and I am not one to moan about the NHS.

“It’s just the situation I am in that’s making life difficult.

“The botox procedure I would normally have done at Salford Royal has been suspended since March and I have no idea when the service will be up and running again.

“This means I can’t really leave the house because my previous injection has worn off and I don’t want to get into difficulty when I’m out and about.

“I can’t go into hospital because I’m classed as disabled as well as being at high risk of Covid because of my Asthma. I’ve had a chest infection for months and was due to have lung and vascular tests but I don’t know when they’ll go ahead.

“I don’t leave the house anymore which is having a knock on effect on my mental health. My depression and anxiety is through the roof and that is really tough on my partner.

“I feel like locking myself away and not coming out until next year.”

Anthony Seale, 33, from Wilmslow, finds himself in a similar situation.

Anthony is waiting for full reconstructive surgery on his right leg after struggling with a rotated kneecap since he was a boy.

It’s taken Anthony ten years to find a surgeon willing to carry out the nine hour operation after two failed key hole surgeries.

The procedure was due to go ahead at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool in April but was put back due to coronavirus.

“Fair enough,” Anthony says.

But after being rescheduled for July, his procedure was cancelled again due to Covid.

“I’d been isolating as instructed for two weeks only for my operation to be cancelled the day before I was due to go in,” he added.

Anthony was told he’d be booked in for September but when he rang his surgeon’s secretary, he was told he hadn’t been put forward for surgery.

“I’m in a position where I have no idea when this operation will go ahead,” says Anthony.

“I work for the police and I’ve been off sick because I have to walk on crutches.

“I need my legs to be able to work. Not only that, I am living in constant pain and its affecting my mental health.

“It’s excruciating so I’m dosed up on morphine. I’ve been taking it for the best part of a year which means it won’t be effective after surgery. Instead I’ll be given ketamine.

“My surgeon seems extremely frustrated with the situation too.

“Each time you’re given a date you get your hopes up and to have cancelled again and again is extremely disappointing.

“I need this surgery for my mobility and personal independence.”

Waiting lists have spiralled in recent months as hospitals fight the coronavirus outbreak.

The number of people who have been waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment now stands at 132,560 in Greater Manchester.

The average waiting time has jumped dramatically in a year – ranging from 15 weeks at Tameside Hospital NHS Trust to 18.7 weeks at Manchester University NHS Trust. Those compare to 6.3 and 8.0 weeks respectively for the same month last year.

NHS England have stopped publishing the data on cancelled operations due to Covid, so it’s unclear how many people have had procedures halted in the last six months.

Nina Ginko’s mum, Carol Ginko, 63, is waiting to have her hip replaced at Stepping Hill Hospital.

“My mum’s operation was cancelled on March and she has had no contact apart from when she has called up herself,” explains Nina.

“She’s been prescribed pain relief and that’s it. It’s getting to a stage where she is struggling to get up and down the stairs.

“When we call the appointment line, they say they don’t know when the operations can resume.

“They seem just as frustrated as we are.”

Diane Dziedzic, 49, from Little Hulton, has been waiting for an operation on her left knee at Trafford General.

Her procedure was cancelled in February, March and August. She was due to have it on September 3 – but now that’s been cancelled, leaving her on another surgeon’s waiting list.

“I just feel annoyed,” Diane says.

“I’ve been living in agony for 12 months and I’m not able to walk. It’s not good.”

The backlog caused by Covid is a major cause for concern among doctors and hospital chiefs.

BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul described the national picture as ‘bleak’.

He said: “With the time taken to receive consultant-referred treatment now the longest on record, and with only half of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks of being referred – the lowest on record – a daunting and huge challenge lies ahead to resume normal levels of care.”