West Kent CCG cancels all non-emergency operations

West Kent clinical commissioning group (CCG) has cancelled all non-emergency surgeries until the new financial year starts in April due to a lack of finances.

The plans, condemned as unfair and damaging by doctors, will affect approximately 1,700 patients as the CCG attempts to save £3.2 million. This is part of plans to not exceed its £472 million annual budget.

The Royal College of Surgeons has warned that the introduction will be the longest ban in health service history on patients undergoing surgery to relieve pain, immobility, disability and other problems. The policy could mean that patients’ health worsens further while they wait for a date for their procedure, which could eventually cost the CCG more in the long run.

Clare Marx, the president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “West Kent CCG’s suspension of non-urgent surgery until April is unprecedented and unfair. Patients, some of whom may be in severe discomfort or pain, should not be made to wait longer for treatment because the CCG has run out of money and surgical patients are perceived as easily postponed.

“The CCG is trying to make short-term savings, which may have major consequences for patients. While patients wait for treatment, their conditions could deteriorate, sometimes making treatment more complex and costly in the long term. In addition, standing down surgeons and their teams is inefficient and a waste of scarce resource. Clinical decisions must not be made purely on a financial basis.”

The Department of Health criticised the move, with a spokeswoman saying: “Blanket restrictions on treatment are unacceptable. The clinical needs of a patient, and the urgency with which they require treatment, must come first as determined by doctors with local knowledge and expertise to best serve the needs of their population. We know the NHS is busy that’s why we’re giving it more money – £4 billion this year - to fund its own plan for the future.”