Exhaust every alternative before cancelling operations, say RCS

The Royal College of Surgeons of England has said that trusts should exhaust every alternative before cancelling operations, following new findings from the Institute of Fiscal Studies.

The IFS reports that more than 3.5 million people aged over 50 had hospital treatment cancelled between February and May this year, with those in poor health initially and those in more deprived areas found to be most likely to lose access to treatment they needed.

The research shows that a sixth of the over-50 population in England, roughly 3.6 million individuals, had some hospital treatment cancelled between February and May in 2020, with hospital cancellations were most common for heavy users of hospital services.

GP care was also disrupted. Almost a quarter of those reporting that they needed to speak to a GP did not manage to do so. Among those who contacted a GP, those with worse prior health were twice as likely as those in excellent prior health to be unable to access their GP when needed: 13 per cent of those who reported ‘poor’ or ‘fair’ health failed to see a GP when attempting to do so, compared with just six per cent among those in ‘excellent’ health. In addition, 14 per cent of those requiring GP care across all health categories did not even attempt to contact them.

Professor Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “The impact of Covid-19 on other health treatment is a story unfolding day by day. Sadly, today’s findings show that the crisis is exacerbating existing health inequalities, with millions of older people affected by cancellations of hospital treatment during the first wave.

“As the second wave of the pandemic now hits us, it is absolutely critical that ‘Covid-light’ areas of the NHS are maintained and protected for those who urgently need surgery. We also need to see the NHS publishing data on cancelled operations once again, so there is improved transparency about how non-Covid care is being affected.

“Staff are working night and day to keep surgery going, but the pressures they face from rising cases of Covid are increasing. We want to see every possible alternative exhausted before Trusts consider any widespread cancellation of planned operations. Meanwhile the NHS is open for business after huge efforts from staff to get theatres up and running over the summer, so people should not feel their condition is any less important. The NHS is there to help everyone who needs it.”

Isabel Stockton, research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: “Many older people have seen their healthcare disrupted during the pandemic, and the burden has disproportionately fallen on those who were already disadvantaged and in poor health. As we move into another lockdown, it will be crucial to ensure access to routine care is maintained as much as possible and that a plan is in place to address care backlogs built up in the first few months of the pandemic. Without this commitment, we risk entrenching existing health inequalities for years to come.”