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?

In my children's hospital we've cancelled as the medical wards are rammed with winter virus's. Very few Covid. And the kids are really sick.

@Pendhxa

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

Yes we've had that. Fortunately we don't use adult sized ones often. We've also got issues with drawing up needles.

And while we were in the EU we were able to send some patients over to other EU countries for treatment if the NHS couldn't cope. Yet another benefit that's now lost.

The really frightening thing is that the flu season is coming. There’s no data from last winter to create this year’s flu vaccine so the one we get could be ineffective to the strain that circulates this winter. Add lots of vulnerable people with a bad case of flu to the mix and the result will be terrifying.

Paying private won’t necessarily guarantee your operation won’t be cancelled. We are also suffering staff shortages due to Covid, recruitment and retention. We are also having to work to clear long NHS lists. I am currently co-ordinating a contract for 200 orthopaedic patients from the local trust who need surgery. Don’t forget many private nurses were drafted into the NHS and leave cancelled. This all has to be taken. We need loan kit to do the operation and this often isn’t available. Our surgeons and anaesthetists work across both so have an NHS commitment as well which leaves limited availability. Added to this prosthesis is limited for hips. It’s a mess across the independent sector as well.

I work in theatres for the nhs, we are massively trying to play catch up and our lists are getting overbooked and were often overrunning till 11pm.

We've had at least 9 months of no operating and we had dire waiting lists pre covid let alone with the 9 months worth of patients on top. The problem we now have is the patients who weren't done are now sicker so their operations which could have been done in an hour are now taking hours.

We also had 40 staff members leave since last March and no one applying to replace so we're not even running full theatre capacity.

Now to add to that we are at full capacity on beds, because we always hit full capacity then we have covid patients on top.
So patients are being cancelled due to no beds, no staff, no time & patient priority (unfortunately chronic pain is at the bottom of the pile)

It's an awful situation and really needs sorting. I really hope you get your operations

So I know two theatre lists are cancelled tomorrow where I am because the anaesthetist is having to isolate. All the others are busy or off so there is just no one to cover 😔

I’m waiting on two operations atm. I’m in absolute agony, I’ve no idea when they will be done but it’s not their fault. They’d do it if they could. I had one surgery in a private hospital on the NHS earlier in the year after waiting 15 months.

On a more worrying note, I have a problem with my heart atm. I’ve had an abnormal ECG so need a 24hr tape. The waiting list for that is 7 months. I’ve got an appointment with my GP on Friday, if he can’t expedite it then I’m probably going to have to pay for it.

I’ve been a frequent flyer of the NHS for years. 12+ years ago, when I saw my consultant I’d be given a date in the clinic and the operation would be within 10 or 12 weeks. No I’m lucky if it’s 10 or 12 months, even before Covid. Same consultant, same hospital.

Going private isn't necessarily an option anymore - the NHS has bought up lots of the private capacity to try and keep up - private waiting times are now longer too

As others have said, the NHS was in crisis long before Covid. It is now writhing on the floor. And this is the result. There was something in the news about needing the army to back up ambulances because they are so overstretched. You cant underfund services for years and years and then expect them to be ok. But it is tragic for people desperate for services.

I'm sorry you're going through this OP.

Contrary to popular belief, COVID is still very much causing issues everywhere, not just in the UK. Even before COVID I learned (the hard way) to never depend on the NHS as it's broken. We paid a lot of money for private insurance but I never regretted it (we don't live in the UK anymore).

I hope you get your op and if you can, start looking into private insurance for the next time this happens. Because it will happen again.

Difficult to know what the solution is.

But basically the NHS made a huge mistake suspending operations due to Covid. They should have just carried on, sending the Covid patients to the nightingale hospitals for triage.

I think the lockdowns will end up killing more people than Covid.

@adeleh

And while we were in the EU we were able to send some patients over to other EU countries for treatment if the NHS couldn't cope. Yet another benefit that's now lost.

Why is it lost? The government obviously paid, why can't they continue to pay.

We have three members of clinical staff with over 100 years experience between them retiring early next month. Covid mainly, has made them all re-evaluate. No replacements for any of them as yet.
The three practice nurses are all over 50 and every one of them planning to go at 55. One of the three nurse practitioners too. Yet people live longer and longer and the practice list grows and grows.
A crisis in the making.

Not enough beds. Not enough staff. Locally our critical care dept is full of covid patients. Operations where people need a critical care bed afterwards been cancelled. Staff isolating (nhs staff still not allowed in work if a positive household contact). Also there is a massive shortage of blood test tubes currently which is going to continue for a few months.
Underfunding.
The list goes on. It’s shit.
I hope you get your op

It's almost always beds.
If you are already an inpatient, it's actually better, as you have a bed to recover in after on the ward.
Emergency cases may come in, not have a bed to go to the ward after their operation and so have to wait in recovery. Once recovery is full, the theatre is blocked. Or non urgent cases will get cancelled to make space for the emergency (often inpatients).
It may be slightly covid related if the surgeon/staff are off isolating or whatever, too.
My local hospital has outsourced day cases to private hospitals because they don't have recovery space. (which is very nice for the patients- much nicer environment).

So I work in a major london hospital. There are no beds on the general side (I work in maternity), there are no staff. They are off sick, isolating, or have left. Agency and bank staff all cancelling in droves as the north london trusts have tripled their pay to those staff so they are working up there instead.

Cancelled ops from during pandemic taking priority, A&E is overrun with other stuff. Covid is rife in certain parts of the country and taking beds.
Most most people double vaccinated and yes we have to learn to live with it but you cannot have surgery without staff and a bed

@tttigress nightingale wasn’t staffed appropriately for covid patients, they were never going to be able to go there.

Not meant in a goady way, I'm genuinely curious, there just doesn't seem to be a contingency plan

You need to be asking the Government this question, they are ultimately in charge of the NHS, it isn't some seperate entity devoid of political influence.

Ask your consultant to move you via choose & book to your nearest private hospital, less chance of your op being cancelled.

tttigress
Each individual patient would need a visa. It's now more complicated but regardless Covid would make it impossible
Covid has just exaggerated what was already happening.

The Nightingale could only take a patient if you sent the nurse as well. No hospital was going to do that.

The NHS has been a disgrace throughout COVID, they've cancelled millions of appointments and treatments.

It's not down to the government, its incompetent NHS trusts.

GP's have been shockingly bad too, ours have sent out a monthly text message telling us not to go near them.

@tttigress

Difficult to know what the solution is.

But basically the NHS made a huge mistake suspending operations due to Covid. They should have just carried on, sending the Covid patients to the nightingale hospitals for triage.

I think the lockdowns will end up killing more people than Covid.

And who was going to be doing those operations, with most of the anaesthetists redeployed to ICU, along with many junior surgeons and theatre nurses/ODPs?

Because we no longer have a reciprocal healthcare agreement, tigress.