Waits for routine surgery at Royal Oldham Hospital rocket

NHS statistics show that at the end of November, the most recent data available, 4,245 patients listed for planned operations or treatment at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust had been waiting for at least a year.

Routine operations can include cataract removal, hernia repair or hip or knee operations.

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The number of patients waiting was the highest since comparable records began in 2011 – by the end of November 2019, only 17 patients had faced such lengthy delays.

The Oldham Times meanwhile reported that in April more than 500 suspected cancer patients in Oldham had suffered delays in diagnosis due to the pandemic.

The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust are brought together by The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group and provide a range of healthcare services including hospitals: The Royal Oldham Hospital, Salford Royal, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, Rochdale Infirmary and North Manchester General Hospital.

Dr Chris Brookes, Chief Medical Officer for the Northern Care Alliance, said: “We would like to offer our sincere apologies to patients that have had to wait longer than we would like for their surgeries.

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“Unfortunately, like other NHS Trusts and hospitals, it has been necessary to postpone some surgery to allow the organisation to build in the necessary capacity in terms of staffing and beds to effectively deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and to keep our staff, patients, visitors and the public safe from infection."

He thanked patients for their "patience and understanding" and said they would be in touch with all those who have had surgery postponed.

Across England, the number of people waiting a year or more for treatment hit a staggering 192,200, the highest figure since April 2008 and up from just 1,400 in November 2019.

Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, has said the soaring figures are proof of the “calamitous impact” of Covid-19 on operation waiting times. He added: "A huge, hidden waiting list is building up under lockdown."

Professor Mortensen added: “For thousands of people in this country a corrective operation is the best way to relieve debilitating pain and get them back up on their feet, back to work and enjoying life again.”

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“Many of us were complaining about the pain of the lockdown restrictions in November.

"However, we should remember all those people waiting for an operation who had their physical pain to deal with, on top of the pain of lockdown.”

The figures serve as a stark reminder of the challenge facing the health service.

“When we eventually emerge from this crisis, we will need sustained investment to treat all those who have been waiting patiently for treatment,” he said.

Despite Covid-19, 20 million people still however received emergency care in England’s A&E departments last year, with November seeing four million patients benefitting from important elective treatments and essential checks on the NHS.