One in 10 planned NHS operations cancelled in final 24 hours, with many 'potentially avoidable'

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By Storm Newton, PA Media

Around one in 10 planned operations in England are cancelled in the final 24 hours before surgery - and almost 40% of these could have been avoided, a major NHS study has found.

Around a quarter (24%) of cancellations were due to acute medical conditions that may have been resolvable if picked up earlier and 15% were caused by list overruns.

Surgeons said bolstering perioperative care “must be a priority” for the NHS or the health service risks waiting lists remaining “unacceptably high”.

At least some of the patients with acute medical conditions could have been identified in the days approaching their operation date and replaced with patients deemed ready to proceed at short notice, the researchers said.

In 11% of cancellations the patient didn’t turn up.

Data from 78 NHS trusts also found 9% of operations were postponed at preoperative assessment clinics.

Most were down to patients not being adequately prepared, with 61% pushed back because patients needed further tests, specialist anaesthetic or a medical review, usually because of other medical conditions.