One in six patients face delays after operations cancelled at Wigan's hospitals

One in six patients who had their operations cancelled at Wigan’s hospitals over three months were still waiting to be treated four weeks later, figures show.
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The Patients Association said delayed surgeries were distressing for patients and called on the Government to provide the NHS with more resources.

NHS England figures show 205 pre-booked operations at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) were postponed on or after the day the patient was admitted between April and June.

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The NHS aims to offer all people who have routine surgery cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons another date within 28 days.

Wigan InfirmaryWigan Infirmary
Wigan Infirmary

But at WWL, 32 had to wait more than four weeks for a new date – a breach rate of 16 per cent.

This was down from 21 per cent in the first three months of the year, but above the rate of four per cent over the same period in 2019-20, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Across England, 23.6 per cent of hospital patients were not treated with 28 days – up from 23.0 per cent the previous quarter, and one of the highest rates since records began in 1994.

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Common non-clinical reasons for last-minute cancellations include a lack of hospital beds, surgeons being unavailable, emergency cases taking precedence, equipment failure and staff shortages.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "It can be distressing and frustrating for a patient when a surgical procedure is cancelled.

"This can be made worse if the patient doesn't know when the procedure will be rescheduled."

The NHS faces a challenge treating people currently waiting and those newly seeking care – and it needs more staff and resources to do that, Ms Power added.

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NHS England guidelines state that if an operation is cancelled because of coronavirus, that patient cannot be seen for at least 28 days.

Mary Fleming, WWL’s deputy chief executive, said: “We are incredibly proud and deeply grateful to the hard work and dedication of our staff in supporting patients waiting to be treated.

“As a trust we are working hard with partners across Greater Manchester to deliver mutual aid and ensure our patients are seen in the most appropriate place as soon as possible.

“While the number of postponements is improving, we are seeing different reasons for delays in surgery compared with before the pandemic, mainly due to Covid-19 infections and individuals who cannot be seen for a further 28 days following contracting of the virus. This is in accordance with NHS England infection prevention control guidelines.

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“We know it is frustrating for those waiting for an appointment to be rescheduled and would assure our patients we are doing everything we can to ensure they are seen as soon as possible, prioritising those with the most urgent need.

“Where you are unable to attend an appointment, we would urge you to let us know, so your appointment can be given to another patient. We are introducing text messaging across all our outpatient services, which will allow patients to ‘reply to cancel’ or ‘request a call to re-arrange’ an appointment.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said it has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce strategy and is reforming adult social care, with £5.4 billion investment over three years.