Full story The Guardian, 16 November 2017
The NHS is under fire for forcing patients who need surgery to wait at least three months before they can have an operation in order to save money. NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in Lincolnshire have provoked sustained criticism after deciding to introduce minimum waiting times for non-urgent surgery including cataract operations and joint replacements.
They have adopted the policy as a result of the NHS-wide cash squeeze and also because they insist that some patients’ condition clears up while they wait.