Seven-week gap advised for surgery after Omicron

NHS hospitals are being advised to delay elective surgical procedures by at least seven weeks if a patient has just had Omicron.

Despite ongoing efforts to tackle growing waiting lists for hospital treatment, a list that sits over six million, experts in the fields of surgery and anaesthesia say it is a precaution since the first couple of months following infection is a riskier period, linked to poorer post-operative recovery.

Published in a journal called Anaesthesia, the recommendations say the desire to tackle waiting lists and backlogs must be balanced with delivering the safest care possible.

It is believed that approximately one in 20 of those six million on waiting lists has been waiting - for routine care such as knee and hip surgery - for more than a year.

Dr Mike Nathanson, president of the Association of Anaesthetists, said: "The frustration felt by patients is immense and we - the healthcare professionals - want to do our jobs and provide these services when it is safe to do so and with the risks clear to all involved. We look forward to new data being available soon which may further clarify the situation now that the Omicron variant is dominant, and most patients are vaccinated."