One in 10 operations in England cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice
Summary
About 10% of planned surgeries in England are cancelled less than a day before they are scheduled, or postponed during pre-surgery checkups. Many cancellations could be avoided with earlier patient checks and better scheduling, which would improve care and reduce long waiting lists.Key Facts
- The study looked at planned surgeries in 91 NHS trusts in England.
- 10% of surgeries were cancelled within 24 hours of the operation date.
- 9% of surgeries were postponed during the pre-operation appointment.
- If these rates apply nationally, around 300,000 surgeries are cancelled or postponed each year.
- About 37% of cancellations could be avoided by identifying issues 3 to 5 days earlier.
- Common reasons for cancellations include medical issues, patients not showing up, schedule delays, and emergency cases.
- Nearly two-thirds of postponements at pre-op appointments happened because patients needed extra tests or specialist reviews.
- Experts say better early patient screening and faster rescheduling could reduce cancellations and help patients recover better.
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