BBC News
Published
image captionVincent Kane - pictured with his grandson Sonny - is facing uncertainty about his operation
The son of a man with pancreatic cancer has said the last-minute cancellation of his surgery has been devastating .
Jodie Kane said his father Vincent was due to have his operation on Friday.
However, that procedure was cancelled by the Belfast Health Trust on Tuesday as the worsening coronavirus crisis increases the pressure on hospitals.
The trust apologised, saying it had faced an 80% rise in the number of patients with Covid-19 admitted to hospitals since Christmas Day.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster s Nolan Show, Jodie said that there was now no guarantee his 68-year-old father would get the treatment.
Updated / Friday, 18 Dec 2020
21:55
NI will see non-essential retail close and the hospitality sector will be restricted to takeaway only
Northern Ireland s spiralling Covid-19 cases are due to the failure of society as a whole , First Minister Arlene Foster said.
Ms Foster also singled out Sinn Féin for criticism, claiming the attendance of senior figures at IRA veteran Bobby Storey s funeral in June, at a time when strict limits on numbers were in place, had damaged the public health messaging.
Her remarks came after Sinn Féin deputy First Minister Michelle O Neill accused the DUP of ignoring public health advice around lockdown decisions last month.