Call for plan to cut op waits
SURGEONS are calling for a “clear strategic plan” to support Covidlight surgical hubs as waiting lists in Wales hit record highs.
Latest data from the Welsh Government shows that the number of patients waiting for treatment in Wales reached a record 668,801 in September.
Some 240,306 of these patients have been waiting more than nine months for treatment, a slight decrease on the previous month. The largest number of patients waiting are for trauma and orthopaedic surgery (96,702), general surgery (79,346) and urology (40,108). The Royal College of Surgeons of England has reiterated calls for Covid-light surgical hubs to improve the recovery of surgical services in Wales.
Susan Hill, a consultant vascular surgeon and acting director for Wales at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “The waiting time figures are yet another blow to patients waiting to start treatment.
“We know waiting lists are at record highs. The harsh reality is that patients’ lives are frequently left on hold as they wait for a return to a life free of pain and suffering.
“We now need to build on the pledges made by the Health Minister at the Planned Care Summit earlier this month to transform surgical services. A clear strategic plan outlining how and when Covidlight surgical hubs will be built is urgently needed to bring down the number of people waiting for treatment.”
Meanwhile Macmillan Cancer Support has warned that the latest cancer treatment waiting times in Wales reveal the “huge pressures” the coronavirus pandemic continues to place on cancer care.
The latest data for September shows that 14,965 people were referred for testing because of a suspected cancer, the most on record. At the same time, the month also recorded the worst performance against Wales’s national cancer treatment waiting time targets since the pandemic began.
Of the 1,600 people who started their cancer treatment in September, only 944 did so within the national target of 62 days, leaving 656 people with cancer to face anxious waits in that one month alone.
The charity is warning of a “perfect storm” of winter pressures and cancer nurse shortages combined with an expected surge in the numbers of patients being diagnosed with more advanced cancers following Covid-19 disruption.
Macmillan believes the rise points to an emerging “side effect” of the cancer backlog caused by the pandemic, namely people being diagnosed later with harder-to-treat cancers as a result.
Jon Antoniazzi, policy manager for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales, said: “Action is needed now to see Wales through the next few months and to avoid a repeat of the last two winters in which we have seen performance against national cancer treatment targets dip considerably. Macmillan wants to see a dedicated cancer workforce plan, funding and dedicated time for training and development to be offered to the cancer workforce and nurses who wish to specialise in cancer further on in their careers.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The latest data shows pressure on our health and care system continues to grow. But our hardworking health and social care staff continue to deliver high quality care when people need it.
“It is encouraging the number of patients newly diagnosed with cancer starting their first definitive treatment and the number of patients informed they did not have cancer have both increased on the previous month.
“In a boost to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the Health Minister announced more than £51m is to be invested in replacing ageing diagnostic imaging equipment across NHS Wales.
“We have invested an extra £248m this year to transform the delivery of services and tackle waiting times, but because of the ongoing pressures and effects of the pandemic we don’t expect to see real progress before the spring.”