To ask why the NHS is cancelling operations?!

[CFEC]

I'm due to have a (much needed and waited for) op in a few weeks time, I've just rung my consultant's secretary as I haven't had a pre-op appointment letter through yet and queried it, as I wanted to make sure the operation is definitely going ahead as if nothing else, I'll be off work for 2 weeks and my boss would ideally like confirmation.

She said 'Oh, well they're cancelling A LOT of inpatient appointments, but as you'll be a day patient no, I think yours will go ahead.'

I swear I will lose my sh&^ and cry if it gets cancelled again, this will be the third time!!!

Why is the NHS cancelling operations left, right and centre?! Surely it can't be due to Covid still? If it is, what is going to happen to us all, so many people are going to die surely as a result of not getting treatment? A lot more than with Covid! Most people are double vaccinated now, this virus isn't going away, why are operations for in patients being cancelled?

I believe there was an issue with not enough beds and multiple cancelled ops well before covid hit.

I’m not staying it’s right but it probably is partly due to covid. The NHS has been chronically under-funded for years, it struggled to keep up well before the pandemic.

There aren’t enough beds or staff. If emergencies (including covid) come in they have no choice but to move planned surgery.

It’s shit but this winter is going to be shit because the nhs is at breaking point sadly

Because there are no beds. Or there are physical bed spaces but not enough staff to run them safely. It's crap and frustrating for staff as well as patients - I want to be doing operations, not sitting waiting to hear if we'll be able to start our list!

Rather bizarrely there is a nationwide shortage of blood test tubes. Do you have blood taken at the pre-op?

Not enough beds.
Hospitals are experiencing their “winter crisis” all year round now.
Not enough staff.

Basically high demand and not enough of anything to fulfill that demand.

It’s shit but that’s the state our NHS has been left in after years of underfunding and constant reorganisation and interference from Government.

The NHS has been chronically underfunded for many years.

We have a severe shortage of nurses and doctors.

Ths pressures of coronavirus only exacerbate this.

Bed shortages, simply. They need to keep Covid patients separate from non-Covid patients. Some post operative ICU capacity is occupied with Covid patients. And it’s not an issue of actual beds - it’s all the other equipment, oxygen lines, space and skilled staff that’s the problem.

There are not enough staff - ergo not enough beds. Staff are exhausted and ill. We cannot recruit

BBC iPlayer has a really good documentary series on University Hospital London which shows the difficulties that Covid has caused. It's worth a look and you'll see why they are still cancelling operations.

I had surgery at the end of June and it was delayed by a week due to an emergency coming in. I think the hospitals are still having trouble with staffing, I was in for a check up today and they were quoting minimum 2 hour waits for X Rays due to shortages.

I had to wait half an hour for someone to come back from lunch as they had nobody to cover reception during his break to make appointments.

Mine was only delayed a week though and I had really good care, so don’t be too downhearted.

Years of underfunding.
Staff leaving to work in different areas or retiring earlier.
Backlog of patients from covid.

But what happens to all these people that need these operations? Do they just have to sit around in pain, probably with little quality of life for another 3-4 years? Not meant in a goady way, I'm genuinely curious, there just doesn't seem to be a contingency plan.

I'm half tempted to just say F it and deplete our savings a fair bit and go private as I really can't wait much longer if this gets cancelled again for a 3rd time but am loathe to do that if it will go ahead but it's the not knowing. I can't plan, just getting fed up of it now.

I appreciate the NHS wasn't in a great state pre-covid, but it just seems madness that a virus that is here to stay, that 87% of the adult population is inoculated against, is still going to grind the NHS to a halt this winter AGAIN.

(I work in the NHS and am about to be redeployed to another area to cover staff shortages there).

@Lockheart

The NHS has been chronically underfunded for many years.

We have a severe shortage of nurses and doctors.

Ths pressures of coronavirus only exacerbate this.

This and local pressure due to ongoing covid cases.

If you have the money @CFEC go private.

However, losing your 'shit' as the booking clerk is pretty pointless since they are merely a messenger and no decisions etc. It also makes YOU look a dick.

Because there's no beds, we're mad busy, and there's no staff, basically.

Hope you get your op.

"I appreciate the NHS wasn't in a great state pre-covid, but it just seems madness that a virus that is here to stay, that 87% of the adult population is inoculated against, is still going to grind the NHS to a halt this winter AGAIN."

The NHS is affected every winter, way before covid. In the hospital where I work, pretty much every winter at least one surgical ward is converted to a medical ward, meaning that peoples operations are cancelled. I know that it's very frustrating, especially if it's affecting your quality of life and is painful, but it's not a new thing because of covid. It's build up of the lack of funding/training/beds/social care in the community etc over many years, and it's not getting any better unfortunately.

@CFEC

But what happens to all these people that need these operations? Do they just have to sit around in pain, probably with little quality of life for another 3-4 years? Not meant in a goady way, I'm genuinely curious, there just doesn't seem to be a contingency plan.

I'm half tempted to just say F it and deplete our savings a fair bit and go private as I really can't wait much longer if this gets cancelled again for a 3rd time but am loathe to do that if it will go ahead but it's the not knowing. I can't plan, just getting fed up of it now.

I appreciate the NHS wasn't in a great state pre-covid, but it just seems madness that a virus that is here to stay, that 87% of the adult population is inoculated against, is still going to grind the NHS to a halt this winter AGAIN.

Have you really not been listening to the health secretary? he has said they may be 13 million people on waiting lists by winter - almost 6m atm.

Those numbers are because operations cancelled, delays in treatment, no staff, no surgeons, private health stopped for 3 months (so they also have to catch up)

No patience for this complaining myself, people have been voting for tax cuts for decades, they have got what they wanted now, they can spend their own money better than the state can, so go buy some health insurance?

OP I’m also not being goady (honestly) but the general public have been dozing whilst our NHS has been falling apart for the last 10 years. No one has been taking notice. It was in no fit state whatsoever to cope with a pandemic, waiting lists were already at their highest for years.

No there isn’t a “plan B” that I know of although you could try asking your MP to ask that question in parliament.

Not enough beds, not enough theatre staff, not enough any staff at all, huge delays with equipment deliveries and if you or your operation is high risk, a minute chance of getting a HDU/ICU bed.

Sorry.

Maybe a few people might 'think a little' prior to voting for the same old same old underfund the NHS party?

But then again the usual bollocks of .....but but it would be worse under....blah de blah

Oh, and in there hospital where I work, "winter pressures" was usually classed as October - March pre covid, so basically half the year!

@MissyB1

OP I’m also not being goady (honestly) but the general public have been dozing whilst our NHS has been falling apart for the last 10 years. No one has been taking notice. It was in no fit state whatsoever to cope with a pandemic, waiting lists were already at their highest for years.

No there isn’t a “plan B” that I know of although you could try asking your MP to ask that question in parliament.

Yep.

Then they want an op and moan when they don't get the service.

It's always (or nearly always!) due to lack of beds. Watch the bbc series hospital on iPlayer, you'll see unfortunately you're not a minority. It's heartbreaking the number of patients having operations cancelled last minute.

Why is the NHS cancelling operations left, right and centre?!

Because the hospitals are full, is the short answer.
The whole system is broken.
It was broken before. The NHS did not have the capacity to then cope with COVID on top.