48,000 surgeries cancelled in just eight years due to ‘lack of capacity’
ALMOST 50,000 operations have been cancelled across Scotland in the past eight years due to a ‘lack of capacity’ or for non-clinical reasons.
Since May 2015, there have been 47,919 occasions where an operation has been cancelled through no fault or choice of the patient, according to data from Public Health Scotland.
The total eight-year figure is set to surpass 50,000, since more than 5,000 of these cancellations took place in the first ten months of last year.
Operations can be cancelled for various reasons, including by the patient or by medical staff for clinical reasons.
But cancellations ‘based on capacity or non-clinical reason’ point to staff and resource issues within hospitals and health boards, according to the Scottish Conservatives health spokesboards man Dr Sandesh Gulhane.
He said: ‘The shockingly high number of cancelled operations is a symptom of the mismanagement of Scotland’s NHS by the SNP.
‘Most of these cancellations stem from either a shortage of beds – due to their failure to tackle delayed discharge – or a shortage of frontline staff, a product of years of poor workforce planning.
‘Cancelled ops not only add to the treatment backlog in our NHS but they are hugely damaging for the physical and psychological health of patients.
‘Humza Yousaf’s flimsy NHS Recovery plan has done nothing to tackle a problem that predates the pandemic. It’s clear he must go if we’re to have any hope of getting on top of this and the numerous other crises in our health service.’
A recent study from the University of Aberdeen suggested that the average wait for knee and hip operations could climb to two years and three months, if the current pace of surgeries persists.
Last month it was revealed that patients could be sent hundreds of miles away to different health for operations in a bid to cut waiting times. Edinburgh West Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine said: ‘These figures are yet another example of SNP mismanagement of the NHS.
‘Patients need to know that they can get the treatment they need, when they need it and this Government is letting them down every single day.
‘It is becoming ever clearer that the Health Secretary needs to get a grip of the crisis our NHS faces. If he cannot fundamentally change his approach and do that, he will need to consider if he is the best person to be Health Secretary.’
Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said: ‘People understand that in an organisation the size of the NHS, operations will be cancelled from time to time.
‘But the scale of these cancellations for reasons of capacity or other non-clinical matters is extremely worrying and points to deep-rooted problems that have unravelled on the SNP’s watch.
‘By the end of this year we could be looking at 50,000 cancelled operations since 2015 for reasons totally outwith patient control.
‘Among these cases will be thousands of serious cases where people’s lives and quality of life are being put in jeopardy.
‘The SNP has been in charge of the health service in Scotland for more than 15 years. It must take full and frank responsibility, and urgently set out what it intends to do for things to improve.’
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the numbers of operations had increased in recent times.
He added: ‘This is still an incredibly challenging time for health and social care but, as a result of the amazing efforts of staff, the most recent published statistics show the number of operations performed rose significantly from 12,764 in October 2021 to 17,233 in October 2022, demonstrating the continued progress being made.’
‘Damaging for the health of patients’