Patients suffer as cancelled operations hit 25-year high

THE number of patients who had operations cancelled at the last minute is the highest in almost 25 years, figures show.

The Royal College of Surgeons said the situation had become “unacceptable,” with too many people left to suffer. Figures show 25,475 operations were cancelled on the day between January and March, the highest quarterly figure since records began in 1994.

Targets to treat 92 per cent of patients within 18 weeks have now been missed for more than two years, NHS statistics show. In March, 87.2 per cent of patients were seen within 18 weeks, leaving more than 360,000 patients facing longer waits.

Surgeons said the situation was being fuelled by shortages of beds, as too many elderly people were stuck on wards for want of social care, as pressures mounted in A&E departments.

The latest data also showed that 2,755 patients waited more than 52 weeks for NHS treatment compared with 1,528 in March 2017.

Ian Eardley, vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons and a consultant urologist, said too many patients were being left to suffer. “It is very distressing for patients who are often in pain, or immobile, and the delay could mean that their condition deteriorates,” he said.

Mr Eardley said it was vital to “transform” care for the elderly with more care closer to home, as well as increasing bed numbers.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce an increase in NHS funding later this year.