Lionel Davis, 85, died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital on October, 20 days after he had surgery on his heart to replace a faulty aortic valve.

His widow believes he died from complications including pneumonia.

His heart surgery was cancelled by the hospital more than six times in two years, according to Mrs Davis.

“Every time he went down, they would cancel,” she said.

She said the “staff and the doctors were great”, but the system was to blame for her husband having to wait so long for surgery.

“They would ring and cancel,” she said.

“All they are doing is looking at bed numbers.”

She said they were not alone in their ordeal, and knew of many other people from Port Pirie that had been “treated similarly”.

“We are fortunate we didn’t have to pay for accommodation,” she said.

“There are other people that also have to pay for accommodation and that’s an added stress.”

Mr Davis was described by Mrs Davis, and daughter Joylene Eckert, as a “gentleman”, “good Dad”, and “quiet achiever” who enjoyed fishing and travelling and could turn his hand to anything.

The last time Mr Davis, a former shearer and farmer, was in Port Pirie was for his 60th wedding anniversary.

The following afternoon, the couple travelled to Adelaide in the hope of his having heart surgery next day.

But it was cancelled again and it was only in the days after when he was experiencing chest pain that he finally was accepted for emergency heart surgery. That surgery was successful, but Mr Davis died later while in cardiac intensive care.

“To linger for 20 days, aware of what was going on, it was tough,” Mrs Davis said while fighting back tears.

“If he had had the operation when he first should have, he may have made a full recovery.”

Daughter Joylene Eckert, a retired nurse, spoke of the

difficulties her parents faced when they would drive to Adelaide, only to get the phone call to say “sorry no beds” within hours of going to

hospital.

“The biggest stress was them travelling to Adelaide, and having to get someone to look after the house, only to have it cancelled,” she said.

“Basically, you can’t get in unless there is an emergency.

“I know it is hard, but if someone is told they will be admitted for heart surgery, they should be admitted for heart surgery.”

Mr Davis was a former smelters worker and was well known in the Masonic Lodge.