Julian questions York Hospital NHS Trust on resumption of routine operations
April 30, 2020
Julian has contacted the Chief Executive of York Hospital NHS Trust to ask for clarification on the rescheduling of operations and care that have been delayed due to coronavirus.
An estimated 2.1 million routine operations have been cancelled nationwide since 15th April, some of them in York, in order to prevent the transmission of the virus, and to give the NHS the necessary space to take the strain of covid-19 cases.
This has helped free up over 33,000 beds, in addition to the new ‘Nightingale’ hospitals built from scratch, to absorb the rise in cases that now seems to have peaked. While necessary to ensure the NHS can address the outbreak, and protect the health of prospective surgery patients, the delays are understandably of concern to those awaiting operations, many of whom are in very poor health.
Postponing important elective (i.e. non-emergency) surgery and procedures for a long period could risk generating a further surge of urgent hospital admissions cases from non-coronavirus conditions, at just the time that our local NHS needs to be on guard against any ‘second wave’ of covid-19.
Julian has therefore asked Chief Executive Simon Morritt to publicly clarify the Trust’s plan for resuming routine operations as soon as is sensible to do so, in order to reassure affected local residents.
After contacting the Trust, Julian said: “I know everyone in our city is incredibly grateful for the sterling efforts of York Hospital Trust, who are continuing their amazing efforts to defeat the virus locally.
It was essential to focus resources to tackling covid-19 as it peaked, and this will of course remain the overriding priority at York Hospital for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, prolonged delays to routine surgery and treatment for life-threatening conditions like cancer obviously risk storing up a wave of non-coronavirus patients needing hospital care, and it would be reassuring for there to be clarity on the Trust’s plan to address this risk, alongside its ongoing covid response.
I am sure the Trust leadership are already considering this in detail, but I know that many York residents awaiting surgery would appreciate official conformation of the revised timetable for their treatment.
I am of course available to assist the Trust in any way, and make their case to the Department of Health as required.”
