A ‘staggering increase’ in cancelled operations

Full story in The Independent, 25 February 2018

Patients are facing delays to life-saving treatment amid warnings over a “staggering increase” in cancellations of urgent surgery.

Nearly 1,000 urgent operations have been cut so far this winter for patients with life-threatening illnesses due to pressures on hospital resources, such as beds or staff, according to new analysis of NHS figures.

The total represents a 40 per cent increase in cancellations since 2013-14, when 707 operations were cut, and a surge of 31 per cent since 2010-11 when there were 755 cancellations.