A father claims NHS delays meant he had to fork out over £8,000 to go private with the identical surgeon so he could "keep" his job. David Umpleby, 40, has been on sick leave since November 2025 owing to severe back pain triggered by two herniated discs.

Doctors advised he needed surgery to fix the problems, leaving him in "agony" and barely able to walk - yet he was informed the operation would not be available before April owing to budget constraints. The health and safety manager says that with his employer's sick pay set to expire by April, he was compelled to borrow £8,217 to undergo the procedure at a private facility on February 26.

The surgery is scheduled to be performed by the same surgeon who would have carried out the operation through the NHS. David, from Fleetwood, Lancashire, said: "I feel so let down.

"You pay your taxes, the NHS have said, 'you need this operation' and literally because of money, I can't get it done. My employer's been really supportive but no one's going to put up with you not doing anything for 12 months, so I'm almost spending £8,000 to keep my job.

"I could be on a train with someone who had the operation on the NHS, but I can't purely due to my postcode. It's outrageous to be honest."

David had experienced back pain "on and off" for roughly 10 years, yet nothing could have prepared him for the "absolute agony" that struck whilst driving home from a day out in November 2024. He had put his back out lifting a radiator two days prior, but recalls it "didn't really hurt immediately".

The pain hit him like a thunderbolt on the return journey from a trip to Liverpool with his wife Donna, 39, and 12 year old son Harry. David, who originally shared his story with Talk To The Press, said: "By the time I got home I couldn't get out of the car."

After spending several days crawling around his home on his hands and knees, David was admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Medics suspected herniated discs, though this wasn't confirmed until following an MRI scan in October of the following year.

By November 2025, David's spirits soared when a spinal surgeon at Ramsey Health Care, Fulwood Hospital recommended an operation to tackle his chronic pain. "I was in the most positive place ever," he continued.

"I thought 'we've got something tangible now, it's not just me'. (I was) going into Christmas like 'right, I've got a surgeon, we've got a plan'."

• Gut health doctor's three ways to ease heartburn and acid reflux - what you need to know

• Doctor explains 'really apparent' problem levothyroxine users need to 'speak to medical professional' about

David anticipated receiving a date for the procedure shortly afterwards but when two months elapsed without any news, he contacted the private clinic scheduled to perform it on the NHS's behalf. He was informed the provider had been instructed to limit treatments for NHS patients for the remainder of the financial year - meaning he wouldn't receive an appointment until at least April 2026 with an August slot most probable.

Shortly afterwards David, who had painstakingly continued working since the injury, was signed off due to deteriorating symptoms. In the interim, he has spent £5,000 on chiropractors and been forced to take a combination of medication including omoprezarol, praxin, co-codamol and tramadol simply to get through each day.

He is now incapable of driving or sitting upright for extended periods - both crucial to his job - whilst doctors caution his painkiller consumption is unsustainable long-term. Health officials say patients with the "highest clinical need" will be prioritised for operations - but David insists he should fall into that category.

Requesting an investigation into his case by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, he said: "I would not be spending money I do not have unless my condition was serious and debilitating.

"These treatments were not optional luxuries - they were necessary to allow me to walk and function. If I were genuinely not a clinical priority, I would not be enduring this level of pain, functional limitation, financial hardship, and loss of employment.

"The decision to categorise me as non-priority appears inconsistent with the clinical reality of my situation. This decision is simply unacceptable."

A spokesman for Lancashire and South Cumbria's Integrated Care Board said: "As we approach the end of the financial year, activity management plans have been put in place, which have resulted in the delivery of some procedures being postponed.

"We are in the midst of agreeing these plans with a range of providers in Lancashire and South Cumbria and we are aware that some patients have received messages that are not in line with the current situation. We would like to reassure these patients that their procedures will go ahead. However, it will be later in the year.

"Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, these procedures should be postponed rather than cancelled, and patients whose appointments are affected will be contacted directly with updated information.

"We apologise to those patients that have been directly affected, and we understand that it can be very worrying and frustrating to have a procedure postponed.

"If a patient finds that their symptoms are worsening, then please contact the care provider you are booked in with or your GP."