20,000 winter operations cancelled at last minute, admits NHS

[Northerner]

Almost 20,000 patients had their operations cancelled at the last minute in the last three months of 2014 as the NHS struggled to cope with the onset of winter causing overcrowded A&Es and bed shortages.

NHS figures published on Friday show that the 19,471 planned procedures hospitals had to cancel was the highest number for October, November and December for 13 years.

The figure was just below the 20,036 surgeries English hospitals postponed at short notice in 2001-02. But it was a sharp increase on the 15,852 seen in the same quarter in 2013 – a year-on-year rise of 23%.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/13/20000-winter-operations-cancelled-last-minute-nhs

That's a lot of unhappy people

 

[trophywench]

Oh yes - daughter is awaiting a hysterectomy and has to go 4 weekly to have jabs to stop her passing out with the pain.

The op is scheduled for '18 weeks time' but the consultant has told her upfront that she'll probably be admitted then they'll cancel and send her home again later but not to worry as that doesn't usually happen more than twice .........

 

[grovesy]

I know someone who has replacement of knee replacement cancelled twice this year.