A TEENAGER says his life has been put on hold because his heart surgery has been cancelled at least four times.

Dean Flintoft, 16, of Barlby, near Selby, suffers from a serious congenital heart detect and has been waiting for an operation for more than a year.

But his family claim Leeds General Infirmary keeps putting the surgery back.

His mum, Elaine, said Dean had no quality of life because he was always waiting for "the call".

She said: "He can't socialise with his friends. He's always on hold waiting for the hospital to ring him."

"I've told the hospital if they give me the call I can be there within an hour.

"It's difficult waiting and waiting."

Dean was born with a hole in the heart and underwent a series of tests and x-rays before he could be discharged from hospital.

He has had health problems throughout his life and discussed surgery with his consultant in 2004.

Since then his family claim he has repeatedly been told he can have the operation, only to have it cancelled at the last minute.

His sister, Wendy, claimed the hospital called last Friday to say he could have the operation, then called back 30 minutes later to say it was off.

The operation will give him more oxygen in the lower part of his body.

Elaine said: "It is causing tension and quite a lot of stress now. Nothing can be planned. Even over Christmas we weren't sure what was happening. We weren't sure whether we would get a call."

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has apologised for the delay and cancellations.

Updated: 10:17 Tuesday, January 10, 2006