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20
Apr 2021
4.7 million people waiting for routine operations in England
The latest NHS England figures show that around 4.7 million people were waiting for routine procedures and operations in England in February, the highest since 2007.
Up to 388,000 were waiting for longer than twelve months for non-urgent surgery, compared with 1,600 before the pandemic.
NHS England said that despite the winter peak, one million operations took place during January and February. It also recently announced that a £1bn fund would be used to enable trusts to restore operations and other services to allow as many patients to be treated as possible.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, said treating 400,000 patients with Covid-19 over the course of the last year had “inevitably had an impact on the NHS”, adding “The hard work and dedication of staff” helped to deliver nearly a million procedures and operations “in the face of the winter wave”.
Mr Tim Mitchell, vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said “Although the most urgent operations, for cancer and life-threatening conditions went ahead, hundreds of thousands of patients waiting for routine surgery such as hip and knee operations, cochlear implants and vascular operations, had their treatment cancelled or postponed.
“People have been patient as they’ve seen the battering the pandemic has given the NHS, but how much longer can they be expected to wait?”
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.
Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Freephone : 0800 304 7382
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