Surgeons are only able to carry out scheduled operations one day every two weeks, according to the president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Prof Neil Mortensen.
This is despite the NHS having a record backlog of patients waiting for treatment due to staff shortages and a lack of operating theatre space.
The NHS is also bracing for the most extreme strikes it has ever faced, which will affect 125 hospitals and health systems across England. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is set to abandon A&E departments, cancer services and intensive care units starting from Sunday evening. Health officials warn that staffing levels will be “exceptionally low” in some hospitals during this period.
Prof Mortensen has expressed his concern over the threat to patient safety from the strikes, but he is even more worried about the impact of widespread workforce shortages leading to a lack of capacity to clear the backlog of seven million people currently on NHS waiting lists.
He revealed that surgeons in countries like France and Germany can carry out planned procedures three days a week, compared to just one day every two weeks in England.
The lack of operating theatres and critical support staff, such as anaesthetists and scrub nurses, has led to surgeons not being able to perform their duties efficiently. Surgeons are currently spending a lot of time doing other work, including some emergency operations and clinics with patients, which takes up valuable time. The surge of strikes by nurses and other medical staff has only added to the NHS chaos and resulted in half a million cancelled appointments and operations across the country.
The RCN has assured the public that “life and limb care” will be protected during the strikes, but the impact on patient care and the already struggling healthcare system is a major concern.
Mat Shaw, the CEO of Great Ormond Street Hospital, has pleaded with the RCN to exempt its services, citing the protection of children as the main need for this. The hospital has declared a “severe business continuity incident,” after trying all other options to solve the staffing crisis, including seeking military aid.
