by Emma Grove

egrove@thekmgroup.co.uk

A motorist injured in a horror crash says her life has become a nightmare.

Wendy Mortlock was on her way to work at Sheppey Community Hospital on November 18 when she became involved in one of two serious accidents on the two Sheppey bridges - causing both to be closed.

Her head-on collision on Kingsferry Bridge resulted in her collarbone being broken and she also had a suspected broken pelvis.

She was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital, where she stayed for five days after having an operation on a gash in her knee and some x-rays.

Within a couple of days of being sent home, a haematoma (a pocket of blood) had formed in her groin.

Wendy, 48, and her husband Chris had several trips back to the hospital as she was in terrible pain but each time they were it would heal itself.

All over Christmas and New Year, Wendy was in agony and eventually, on March 6, Chris had to call an ambulance out because his wife was in so much pain.

She needed gas and air to get out of bed and was taken into Medway at about 3am.

A doctor told grandmother-of-two Wendy she would need an emergency operation, which she had later that evening, and because the wound had become so infected, she has also had to have several follow-up draining operations, the most recent of which was on Monday.

Since being in hospital, Wendy has also found out she had two broken ribs and an a second hematoma on her hip.

Now she is waiting for a visit from a specialist who they expect to put a vacuum over her wound to draw out all the fluid that's in there.

Wendy said: "I have no problems with the staff - they are great - but they just can't cope with the amount of people coming in.

"I have taken a bed up for two weeks now and if things had happened sooner, I might not have done.

"I'm annoyed it wasn't picked up in the first place."

Wendy said it felt surreal to be on her way to work as normal and then be in hospital five days later.

She added: "I got over that because I was home but then for all this to start and be back in here - it's hard for everybody.

"It's a living nightmare because my life has totally stopped and I'm not sure how I'm going to get back into it.

"I'm not used to sitting about doing nothing and suddenly I have to but I'm looking forward to coming home and my family are brilliant - they are keeping me going."

Chris, 49, said his wife hasn't been back to work since the accident and when the pain was at its worst, it caused agony for anything to touch her leg - even trousers.

He said: "It's unbelievable - the whole story is. It's ridiculous."

• A spokesman for Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: "Unfortunately, on occasions procedures may be cancelled or delayed for clinical reasons. In such cases, reasons are discussed with the patient directly."