On-hold operations spark wait times worry

Concern has been expressed about the impact on waiting times as operations in the Forth Valley area are postponed due to coronavirus measures.

Non-urgent operations were postponed earlier this year when NHS Scotland was placed on an emergency footing to respond to the pandemic.

Last week the Conservative Holyrood candidate for the Stirling constituency, and current list Mid Scotland and Fife MSP, Dean Lockhart, pointed to recently published Public Health Scotland figures.

The total number of scheduled elective, or planned, operations in the Forth Valley theatre system for the months of April, May, June, July and August 2019 was 1010, 1124, 995, 825 and 959 respectively. That compared to 2020 figures for these months of 147, 143, 309, 487 and 483 respectively.

Mr Lockhart said he is worried about the impact postponed operations will have on waiting times.

He added:“while we must do we all we can to tackle the rise in Covid cases, the SNP [Scottish Government] must ensure patients across Stirling who are waiting for vital operations are not simply forgotten about.

“As we head into winter we cannot afford to let the waiting times for operations to spiral out of control.”

An NHS Forth Valley spokesperson stressed this week that it had“continued to provide emergency and urgent treatment, including cancer surgery, and moved very quickly to restart surgery for patients whose operations had been postponed as soon as it was safe to do so.”

She added:“we are delivering care to hundreds of patients who require surgery, diagnostic scans and other treatments every week while also caring for an increasing number of patients with Covid-19.

“Like all hospitals, we have had to put in place different working arrangements and infection control measures to protect patients and staff.

“While these arrangements have reduced the total number of operations we can safely carry out each day, we continue to do everything possible to see and treat as many patients as possible.”