SALLY SORTS IT: My husband’s dentures are missing and he can’t eat. Can I get compensation?

My husband had to have emergency surgery on Christmas Day last year to remove his dentures.

The special implant-supported prosthesis, which cost £2,700, was never seen again. Our dentist replaced them a few weeks later at a reduced price because he felt sorry for my husband, who couldn’t eat properly without them.

Since then I have been pursuing the Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil for reimbursement.

JJ, Ebbw Vale, Gwent.

Sally Hamilton replies: You were with your husband when he was admitted to the hospital and you remember his dentures being placed in a container and then placed on a cart by a doorman.

But when your husband returned to the ward, the teeth were gone. Since he couldn’t eat anything more substantial than soup without them, you complained and got a claim form sent to the hospital “care team.” But five months later the claim has still not been fulfilled.

Your dentist only charged €1,000 for a replacement. But finances are tight and you had to borrow the money from a local lender who, you told me, pressured you to make the repayment after a few months.

Your sister paid off the debt while you waited for the health board to reimburse the loss.

You asked a friend, a lawyer, to help you pursue compensation. He made 19 phone calls – in addition to emails – but got nothing.

Following my intervention, the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board team quickly got to work on the case.

A spokesperson said: ‘We have apologized to the patient and his family for the loss of his dentures and are working hard to ensure he receives a refund.’