| answer text |
<p>NHS England collects the number of operations cancelled at the ‘last minute’ for
non-clinical reasons on a quarterly basis.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The number
of cancelled elective operations in the final quarter of 2013-14 was not the highest
ever recorded. The highest number of cancelled elective operations was recorded in
quarter 4 2000-01.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cancelled elective operations as
a percentage of elective admissions are stable. In both 2009-10 and 2013-14 cancelled
elective operations represented 0.9% of elective admissions, despite a 546,000 increase
in the number of elective admissions in this period.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The
National Health Service should do everything it can to reduce cancellations and keep
them to an absolute minimum. Where this is unavoidable, patients should receive treatment
as soon as possible. This is reinforced by a pledge in the NHS Constitution for all
patients who have operations cancelled, on or after the day of admission (including
the day of surgery), for non-clinical reasons to be offered another binding date within
28 days, or the patient’s treatment to be funded at the time and hospital of the patient’s
choice.</p><p> </p>
|
|
