NHS trust in Shropshire to review elective operations on week-by-week basis
The trust running Shropshire's two main hospitals says it intends to review elective operations and clinics on a week-by-week basis following a national recommendation to delay non urgent operations until the end of the month.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) – which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital – continues to face a high level of demand in its accident and emergency departments.
About 150 routine operations were cancelled in the nine days leading up to Tuesday this week.
Now, NHS England is advising hospitals to defer non-urgent, elective operations and procedures until the end of the month to help the health service deal with high pressures over the winter period.
SaTH released a joint statement yesterday from Dr Edwin Borman, medical director, Deirdre Fowler, director of nursing, midwifery and quality and Sara Biffen, interim chief operating officer.
It said RSH and PRH were also facing a high number of admissions, meaning that all of its ward areas are full.
The statement said: “Our staff are working incredibly hard under what are very difficult circumstances, but the number of patients we are seeing means that there are long delays in seeing patients in our emergency departments, and in helping patients on our wards.
“There has been a national recommendation that elective surgery and outpatient clinics should be cancelled until the end of this month.
"At SaTH, we intend to review, on a week-by-week basis, elective operations and elective clinics.
"We will, however, ensure that patients requiring urgent assessment and treatment continue to be seen as a priority, as will patients requiring assessment and treatment for cancer and other potentially life-changing conditions.
“These decisions will be made in consultation with clinicians, including our doctors and nurses.
“Anyone who has their elective procedure cancelled will be contacted by the trust.
“We would like to apologise for these exceptional measures but, given the considerable pressures our two hospitals are facing, we have to ensure that we prioritise the care of urgent and emergency patients.”
Health chiefs have advised that many conditions can be seen much more quickly using alternative services and A&E should only be used for the most serious injuries and illnesses.
People have been asked to approach pharmacists and can call NHS 111 in non emergency cases.
