A pensioner plagued by a giant growth travelled 50 miles to have the lump removed only to be told he looked too ill to undergo surgery.

The golf-ball sized mass began growing on George Hobbs’ head after the 89-year-old fell over and cut himself on the day of his wife’s funeral last August.

By February it had reached such a size he went to his GP at The Railside Surgery, Gillingham, but was sent away with painkillers.

The same treatment was prescribed on two further visits until a locum doctor finally referred him to a specialist.

The retired civil servant was told the swelling was cancerous and was due to go under the knife last Friday but was sick on the way to East Grinstead’s Queen Victoria Hospital.

He said: “When I got there they took one look at me and told me they couldn’t proceed as I wasn’t strong enough.

“Now I’ve been told they’ll give me a new date and will have to travel down there again.”

To add insult to injury, he was told to call Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to complain about his treatment but when he did was directed to NHS England.

Three weeks on the NHS has written to inform him the complaint is to be passed back to the CCG.

Mr Hobbs, of Davenport Avenue, Gillingham, says it’s more painful than ever and has started bleeding meaning he know has to sleep on a folded up towel.

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