President RCS comments on the"delays and cancellations" in NHS

UNITED KINGDOM: Responding to the National Audit Office’s report on NHS backlogs and waiting times in England, Professor Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said the following

“The NAO’s findings chime with what we are hearing from our surgical colleagues on the ground. The winter ahead, with a ‘twindemic’ of flu and Covid, the prospect of industrial action and long-existing gaps in rotas, will probably be the most difficult the NHS has known. It will undoubtedly set back elective recovery plans.

“Surgeons are telling us that in some areas they are only operating one day a week, due to shortages of nurses and anaesthetic staff, and not enough operating theatres. This is before the worst of winter, and emergency pressures, is upon us. Delays and cancellations, and the distress they bring patients, sadly look set to increase in the coming months.

“The key to improving productivity is separating planned surgery from winter pressures. The new Health and Care Secretary Mr Barclay is talking today about his ambition to reduce variation in waiting times across the country. This means creating surgical hubs in every area, so that planned operations can go ahead. The Government has promised to create more hubs, but sustained funding is needed in the months and years ahead for the programme to succeed.”