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NHS surgeons say there could be a “tsunami of cancellations” unless hospital beds are “fenced off” for planned operations.
A survey of nearly 1,000 members in England by the Royal College of Surgeons found that only 14% thought the health service could meet its goals for surgery to return pre-pandemic levels.
In July, the head of the NHS in England, Sir Simon Stevens, wrote to the trusts saying that by September they should reach at least 80% of last year’s activity for both planned overnight procedures and outpatient or outpatient procedures, increasing to 90% in October.
But the Royal College of Surgeons analysis suggested that fewer than two in five (39%) surgeons said Surgery levels were below 50% of those achieved last year, and nearly half (48%) said they were between 50% and 80% of those seen in 2019.
Two-thirds (65%) did not believe it was realistic for their confidence to reach the 80% goal, and only 26% thought it could be achieved.
Nearly half (48%) of surgeons said they needed access to more theaters and facilities to avoid surgical “downtime” during deep cleaning, and many cited the need for more fenced surgical beds.
The survey found particular problems in trauma and orthopedics, such as hip or knee replacements and repairs, and 58% of these specialist surgeons said that activity had fallen below half that seen in normal times.
And testing remains a key issue, with a quarter of surgeons saying their team members are waiting more than 48 hours for their COVID-19 test result, meaning they have to stay out of the work and isolate themselves until they receive a response.
More than two million people in England are currently waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment, with 83,000 waiting more than a year.
All patients on the NHS waiting list for treatment are scheduled to be contacted in order to prioritize the most urgent.
It could mean that those with the less urgent problems are forced to wait even longer as the more urgent cases take precedence.
Professor Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England said: “Patients awaiting an operation cannot be left behind indefinitely for COVID-19 crisis.
“Many are in severe pain and their conditions deteriorate while on the list.
“As the virus becomes more prevalent again, there is a real risk of a tsunami of canceled operations unless surgical beds are funded and protected.
“That means increasing the capacity of the theater and designating beds exclusively for those who need an operation.
“These facilities must be maintained ‘COVID-light’ with a rigorous testing regimen for patients and staff.”
