Margaret has long-awaited shoulder surgery

Last updated at 11:42 17 March 2005


Pensioner Margaret Dixon, whose seven cancelled shoulder operations sparked a major political row, has had a successful operation, her family have announced.

Mrs Dixon, 69, from Penketh, Cheshire, had the operation yesterday at Warrington General Hospital, where she is now recovering.

Her daughter Lindsay, 33, today said the operation, in which Mrs Dixon had a 30-70 chance of survival, had been a success.

The operation was not due to take place until next week but was brought forward by the hospital.

The political storm surrounding the case began two weeks ago in the House of Commons when Tory leader Michael Howard highlighted it during Prime Minister's Questions.

He said that Mrs Dixon was in constant pain because of her broken shoulder and claimed operations had been cancelled seven times.

Mr Howard then invited Mrs Dixon's family to his London home and held a press conference where he said that Mrs Dixon had been let down by a system which had devoted too much money to bureaucracy

and not enough to patients themselves.

But Labour hit back. Health Secretary John Reid accused the Tories of 'human shield' tactics and said that Mr Howard had not told the truth about the cancelled operations, of which the hospital

said there were only three.

Dr Reid also accused Mr Howard of turning the case into a political stunt, and refused to visit Mrs Dixon at her home, claiming Conservative Party aides were behind the invitation.

Family 'ecstatic'

The row thrust the NHS to the heart of the pre-election campaign and became known as The Battle Of Margaret's Shoulder.

Lindsay Dixon said: "The family are ecstatic. We are so relieved.

"She went in hospital yesterday morning. The hospital had a window of opportunity which they gave us and she's had the operation.

"She's comfortable at the moment. We saw her yesterday for about ten minutes and she was feeling a bit groggy, but I rang this morning and she is comfortable.

"I'm really looking forward to going to see her."

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