AN AMPUTEE who persuaded NHS officials to improve disabled access to a doctors’ surgery is still waiting for the work to happen six months later.

Graham West, 72, spent a year in a wheelchair after his right leg was amputated below the knee in September 2009, and had to be pushed around by his wife Sylvia.

But on regular visits to Bicester Health Centre, in Coker Close, Mrs West had to ask for help to pull the chair up a kerb in front of the surgery or wheel her husband into the road to reach a dropped kerb near the chemist’s shop next door.

He said that although the dropped kerb was not far away, it was dangerous to use.

So former schools inspector Mr West, of Bletchingdon Road, Weston-on-the-Green, near Bicester, lobbied the surgery and wrote to NHS Oxfordshire chief executive Sonia Mills.

Last December, he received a letter to say work to drop the kerb in front of the centre had been approved. But since then nothing has happened.

Mr West’s leg was amputated below the knee after a bacterial infection.

He is learning to walk again using a prosthetic leg and sticks, and said: “There was terrible difficulty getting in with a wheelchair, with the kerb and potholes. We ended up driving on to the concourse so I could get there. For a health centre to have poor disabled access is shocking.

“They said they would deal with it but that was before Christmas and still nothing has been done.”

NHS Oxfordshire said there had been an “oversight” and work would start next month.

A spokesman said: “NHS Oxfordshire can confirm that a request for the necessary work to be carried out was made in September 2010.

“Due to an oversight this work has not happened. This has now been flagged as a high priority and we have received confirmation that the work will be completed as a matter of urgency.”