Rylan Clark says the National Health Service is ‘on its knees’ after being held in a telephone queue for hours while trying to secure his ailing mother a hospital appointment.
The TV presenter, 34, and his extended family have been nursing his beloved mum Linda after she suffered a serious fall while on an overseas holiday.
But while he’s openly praised staff for their care after she was safely returned to the United Kingdom, he shared his frustration with waiting times after failing to get her private medical care.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, he raged: ‘My mum has been home 4 days, tried to book her in private (because luckily I can afford that) for her arm and leg, won’t take her because surgery wasn’t done by them, since Friday have been waiting for the NHS hospital to come back to me, have been number 76 in the Queue since this morning finally get through to be told they haven’t received her referral (which they have) my mum is 71 and has other serious health issues.
‘I know the NHS is on its knees at the minute but what on earth would she do without family around her. I’ve now been told there’s nothing else the gp surgery can do (who have been great) so here with my mum in 2 casts, she needs her stitches and staples removed this week, and then her physio can begin, at a loose end here, any advice from doctors/nurses on here would be great thanks.’
Not happy: Rylan Clark has slammed the National Health Service after being held in a telephone queue for hours while trying to secure his ailing mother a hospital appointment
Fuming: While he’s openly praised staff for their care after she was safely returned to the UK, he was less charitable about the NHS after failing to get her private medical care
Days earlier Rylan praised the ‘dream team’ of staff who helped to fly his mum home from Spain, after she suffered a horror fall during their holiday.
The presenter shared a selfie with the crew who chartered the private jet to fly them back to the UK, after Linda underwent surgery in the wake of her injury.
On Thursday, Rylan revealed that he and Linda were finally heading home, and were using the services of Helicopteros Sanitarios, a 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year health care service which operates mobile services for medical care in the Costa Del Sol and provided the transport back to the UK.
Sharing a snap with the services’ staff, he captioned the post: ‘Dream team.’
He then shared another image of Linda once they’d boarded the flight on a stretcher attached to various medical apparatus, with the sweet message: ‘Love her.’
Sweet: Rylan had previously praised the ‘dream team’ of staff who helped to fly his mum Linda home from Spain, after she suffered a horror fall during their holiday
Cute: The presenter shared another image of Linda once they’d boarded the flight on a stretcher attached to various medical apparatus, with the sweet message: ‘Love her’
Rylan previously shared that getting Linda home on the private jet had ‘cost him an arm and a leg.
In a caption, he penned: ‘She might have broke an arm and a leg but she’s cost me an arm and a leg! LINDAS COMING HOME!! Massive thank you to the amazing team and surgeons at Helicopteros Sanitarios. Thanks for looking after my mum x
Linda was kept on the stretcher for the entirety of the journey and strapped to various medical devices while they were accompanied by medical staff.
Last week, Rylan updated fans as he took to Instagram on Sunday morning to share a smiling photo of his mother in her hospital chair.
Linda could be seen putting on a brave face while both her arm and leg were wrapped up in bandages and braces.
Captioning the snap, Rylan wrote: ‘Someone is out of the bed and in a chair. She can’t believe how many people have sent messages.
‘Thanks everyone. Will update you all with more as I can x’.
It comes after he announced his mum had made it out of surgery after suffering a serious fall on their holiday.
Jetting off: Rylan previously shared that getting Linda home on the private jet had ‘cost him an arm and a leg’
Pained: The TV star took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal they were heading home following the the trip, which had been thwarted by her fall
Off we go: In his latest post he shared a trio of snaps showing his beloved mum, with whom he stars on Celebrity Gogglebox, on a stretcher attached to various medical apparatus
Tough time: Last week, Rylan updated fans after his 71-year-old mum Linda was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery during their holiday.
Doing better! She took to Instagram on Sunday morning to share a smiling photo of his mother in her hospital chair
Grateful: Captioning the snap, Rylan wrote: ‘Someone is out of the bed and in a chair. She can’t believe how many people have sent messages. Thanks everyone’
Rylan assured fans that ‘all went well’ after earlier announcing that he would be pulling out of his scheduled Radio 2 show, with Scott Mills replacing him.
Sharing a picture of his mother’s hands with a cannula in, he wrote: ‘Mum is out of surgery. All went well.
‘Asked me if she can still have a new driveway…. She’s deffo come round. Thanks for all your lovely messages x’
Last week, the presenter took to Instagram to announce the worrying news that his mother had suffered a serious fall.
Rylan admitted he was praying for his mother and explained that he would be pulling out of his scheduled Radio 2 show.
After revealing his mother would need to go under the knife, he later told fans: ‘Surgery has gone well. Will keep yas updated x’
Rylan filled fans in with his original post, which read: ‘So unfortunately I took my mum away on her first holiday in a good few years and sadly she’s had quite a bad fall, resulting in her having to have surgery out here.
Update: It comes after he announced his mum had made it out of surgery after suffering a serious fall on their holiday with a picture of his mother’s hands with a cannula in
‘She’s not in the best health with her other conditions and this has made it more complicated. My priority at the moment is my mum.
‘Cheers scott for covering me at radio 2 and Thanks to the people out here that have sent their well wishes.
‘Praying for a successful surgery and a quick recovery. Will update you on mummy. Linda as and when I can x’
X Factor star Rylan’s celebrity pals quickly flooded the comments section of his Instagram post with well-wishes.
Kate Garraway wrote: ‘Sorry to hear Rylan,’ while Jordan North added: ‘Oh mate, hope she’s doing ok. Big love,’ and Catherine Tyldesley penned: ‘Sending love, light and healing darlings.’
Vanessa Feltz commented: ‘O my goodness I am sorry to hear it! Praying for a speedy recovery, while Ruth Langsford wrote on behalf of herself and husband Eamonn Holmes: ‘Oh no….darling Linda. Sending you both all our love.’
Linda has battled with Crohn’s since her 30s, a condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system.
She often has to undergo multiple operations to remove damaged parts of her bowel and takes numerous medicines each day for her condition.
Rylan’s mum also contracted sepsis in 2018, which almost killed her.
Back in 2027, Linda endured a six-week stay in hospital, after a procedure related to her Crohn’s disease went wrong.
Rylan previously opened up to the Daily Mail about his mum’s battle with the illness, which has affected many aspects of her life.
He explained: ‘My mum lost her job because of the disease – it totally dictates her life. When she was diagnosed it really hit her hard because it wasn’t picked up early enough.
‘The earlier you pick it up the easier it is to control. I grew up with the disease as well because she was ill – it is life-threatening. It’s scary.
‘It could be difficult when I was young because sometimes she couldn’t come on school trips and other times she was so embarrassed about her symptoms that I couldn’t have my mates to stay over.’
Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition, which affects around one in 1,200 people in the UK, causing inflammation of the lining of the digestive system, although it is most commons in the intestines.
It causes symptoms including diarrhoea, intense abdominal pain, weight loss and fatigue.
Worrying: Last week, the presenter announced that his mother had suffered a serious fall and explained that he would be pulling out of his scheduled Radio 2 show
Support: Rylan issued his followers with an update after his celebrity pals flooded the comments section of his Instagram post with well-wishes
Special bond: Linda has become hugely popular since her first stint alongside her famous son on Celebrity Gogglebox in 2021
Linda has become hugely popular since her first stint alongside him on Celebrity Gogglebox in 2021, however Rylan previously admitted she has no idea of her level of fame.
He write in a Sunday Times Magazine article: ‘She’s not dealing with her fame, she doesn’t really know. She’s not on social media and I’m never gonna let her be.’
Rylan added: ‘My mum, Linda, is my biggest f****** headache, but I don’t know what I’d do without her.
‘She’s got the best of both worlds with me — I’m a son and a daughter. I can talk to her about make-up and blow-dry her hair, and I can tell her to f*** off. She’s a liability.
‘She’s the ultimate cross between the nan from Catherine Tate and Pam from Gavin & Stacey.’