New report from Patients Association on surgery waiting time delays

From the Patients Association
The Patients Association’s latest report ‘Feeling the Wait’ reveals that waiting times for elective surgery has become worse, with more patients been forced to wait over the 18 weeks outlined in the NHS Constitution. The Patients Association sent freedom of information requests to NHS Trusts across England.
Key findings from the report include:

• The total number of patients waiting over 18 weeks for the calendar year of 2015 was 92,739, compared to 51,388 patients waiting over 18 weeks in 2014. This represents an increase of about 80%.
• Average waiting times for procedures like hip replacements, knee replacements, hernia, adenoid and tonsillectomies are over 100 days, which represents the highest average waiting time.
• Operations are being cancelled on the day, with the report revealing Trusts cancelled an average of 753 patient surgeries in 2015.
• Equipment shortages and/or lack of beds were the most common reasons for surgery cancelled on the day.

The report also discusses the significant psychological burden on patients waiting to be given a date for surgery.
Read the full report at: http://www.patients-association.org.uk/reports/waiting-times-report-feeling-wait/

Share your experiences with Healthwatch Birmingham

We want to hear your feedback. If you have experienced the above with NHS Hospitals in Birmingham please tell us via our online Feedback Centre, give us a call or email us. Your feedback is vital to understanding trends in peoples’ experiences and helps build a picture of what is working well, or where improvement is needed.

• Visit our Feedback Centre here
• Call us: 0800 652 5278 / 0121 636 0990
• Email: info@healthwatchbirmingham.co.uk