The two Gympie women have been waiting for more than a year for knee replacement operations and have just been dealt another frustrating blow.

Without any consultation, they and about 100 others have been scratched from the Noosa Hospital joint replacement waiting list and forced onto Nambour General Hospital’s orthopaedic waiting list.

Noosa Hospital ceased providing public joint replacement surgery in December, 2008 because of limited funding from the state government, but had hoped to resume operations in 2010.

The transfer from hospital to hospital has angered Ms Mahon, 61, and Ms Perrett, 66, who said they felt like they were being treated like “pieces of paper” rather than patients.

“The first I heard about this move was in a letter from Queensland Health last week,” Ms Mahon said.

“It told me I needed to make another appointment with my GP to get another referral to see another orthopaedic surgeon who was based at Nambour hospital.

“I don’t want to return to square one.”

Ms Perrett said she had asked where she would be placed on the Nambour hospital waiting list but did not receive a clear answer.

“I’ve already had a blood test and done everything in preparation for my operation at Noosa Hospital,” she said.

“I am in constant pain, walking around with a cane. I don’t want to go around in circles.”

On November 2, there were 320 patients on the orthopaedic waiting list at Nambour hospital.

The average waiting times for category one orthopaedic surgery patients at Nambour hospital is 11.5 days, while category two is 80 days and category three is 258 days.

Both Ms Mahon and Ms Perrett were classed as category three patients and now face starting again in a new queue.

I don’t want to return to square one.”