Patients face three-month wait for surgery

PATIENTS will be forced to wait more than three months for some NHS operations under a new pandemic plan for the health service.

Those with less serious conditions will be given less priority and even have a choice to ‘opt out’ of surgery.

The plans have been drawn up by the Scottish Government to prioritise emergency patients and those with the most serious health problems.

But last night critics warned of a ‘staggering patient logjam’ and said urgent plans must be put in place to make sure treatment is there for everyone who needs it.

The ‘Covid-19: supporting elective care – clinical prioritisation framework’ gives ‘clear guidance’ for the NHS on which procedures should be prioritised while it deals with the impact of the pandemic, such as the need for staff to socially distance.

Emergency procedures such as those for dislocated joints, sepsis and haemorrhages should be carried out within 24 hours. Patients may wait up to one month for several cancer treatments, while patients with hernias could wait up to three months. People needing tooth extractions, those with benign tumours and kidney stones will wait at least three months for surgery.

There may also be a generic information leaflet for all patients to be used to identify those who wish to ‘opt out’.

Scottish Labour health spokesman Monica Lennon said: ‘Before the pandemic the SNP had a terrible track record on waiting times. Failing to control the spread of Covid in hospitals and get a grip on testing has added to a staggering patient logjam.

‘Our health services should be there for everyone.’

President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Professor Jackie Taylor said: ‘It’s right that all patients get the treatment they need and that we should seek to prevent backlogs wherever possible, but our NHS services need to find the right balance so that those patients who have the greatest clinical need are always able to be treated as a priority. This new framework should help facilitate this.’

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: ‘Throughout the pandemic our guiding principle has been keeping as many people safe as possible. We are resuming services as quickly and safely as possible, and this new framework will allow our NHS to prioritise patients who need urgent care.

‘This guidance will ensure patients have a clear and realistic expectation of when they will receive treatment that is appropriate to their individual circumstances.

‘ This i s especially i mportant as we approach winter and the additional pressures this places on health services, together with the continuing critical need for the NHS to respond to Covid-19.’