Patients in Pembrokeshire are having vital operations delayed because of shortages in medical office staff, says Angela Burns AM. The South Pembrokeshire Assembly Member was horrified to learn of the hold-ups caused by simple recruitment problems. "I have a constituent who had to wait about four months for an appointment for a neurology scan," she told the Senedd. "The reason given by the registrar for being unable to give the appointment earlier was that he did not have a secretary. His secretary had left, he could not get a new one, and he had no-one to type his letters for him. "I could give about five or six different examples where senior medical staff have said that they do not have enough administrative and support staff to help them to do their jobs and, therefore, patients are kept waiting." She raised the issue with the First Minister Rhodri Morgan in the Welsh Assembly last week. "There are enormous delays within the NHS that are occurring simply a result of staffing problems," she added. "This cannot be doing anyone any good."