PENSIONER Arthur Harper, 77, is still in hospital in Bristol waiting for an operation to fix his badly-broken leg – three weeks after falling through his garage roof.
Mr Harper, of School Lane, Ruardean, had climbed on the roof to lop a high hedge when he fell completely through it and crashed to the ground.
He spent two hours in agony until a neighbour let him out of the locked garage and dialled 999 for an ambulance to take him to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, said friend Roger Kempster who has been visiting him daily since the accident.
"First they took him to Gloucester and they put a plaster on the leg but then realised the break was more complicated and took it off again.
"He had shattered his tibia and needed a specialist operation to fix it, but apparently there are only two surgeons in the area who can undertake the work."
Mr Kempster said Mr Harper was found a bed at Gloucester but really needed to go to Bristol Royal Infirmary for the operation. But first of all a bed could not be found, then it was impossible to get transport.
As the days went by they despaired of getting Mr Harper fixed up and Mr Kempster wrote to Forest MP Diana Organ for help.
"Last week Mrs Organ contacted them and by Friday he was moved to Bristol – but they said both surgeons were on holiday. However I inquired if it could be done privately and was told it would take £8,000- £10,000 and could be done within 24 hours.
"Surely if they can do it in that time in private they can do the same for Arthur?"
Mr Kempster said he was suffering himself from heart problems and visiting in Bristol was not easy. He and his wife Madge were worried too about Mr Harper becoming depressed while nothing was done.
"It is three weeks now and still nothing has happened although they have told him there is a chance he may have the operation later this week," he said.