Six percent rise in waiting times for NHS operations

PATIENTS are facing increasingly long delays before undergoing some of the most common forms of surgery in NHS hospitals, a report has warned.

In a blow to David Cameron’s election pledge to drive down waiting times, official data suggest that waiting times rose by six per cent for eight types of surgery between 2010 and 2011.

The research by the Patients Association also found that fewer patients have undergone planned operations, such as hernia repairs and joint replacements, since the NHS implemented austerity measures to cut spending by £20billion.

Experts warned the trend meant thousands of patients were being left in pain while waiting for surgery. The average wait for a knee replacement rose from 88.9 days to 99.2, while the average wait for hernia surgery increased from 70.4 days to 78.3. Waiting times for gall stone removal rose by 7.4 days, hip replacement patients waited 6.3 days longer on average, while waiting times for hysterectomy surgery and cataract removals were delayed by an extra three and 2.2 days respectively. According to data from 93 of England’s 170 acute hospital trusts, the number of operations performed fell by 18,268 between 2010 and 2011.

Prof Norman Williams, the president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “It does look as if this report has confirmed something we have been worried about for the last two years, that patients are waiting longer in certain trusts to receive the treatment that they require.”

Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, said: “The number of people waiting over a year for treatment has reduced by two thirds since we came into office.” He added that the average waiting time for treatment is the same as two years ago.