Blackpool patients face waiting list delays

Patients in Blackpool are facing long delays for routine surgery due to the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Blackpool Victoria HospitalBlackpool Victoria Hospital
Blackpool Victoria Hospital

Hundreds of people are on waiting lists of more than a year for non-emergency surgery, also known as elective surgery, at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, a public meeting of the hospital’s board of directors was told.

Board chairman Pearse Butler told the meeting, held via a video link: “Elective waiting times have suffered greatly due to Covid.

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“We are facing a massive backlog due to effectively operating for four months as an emergency hospital only.”

Mr Butler warned he could not see any signs on the horizon of how the hospital could hit its waiting time targets but this was “not just in Blackpool, but the whole country.”

Figures presented to the meeting showed the hospital trust had 514 patients waiting more than a year for non-emergency surgery due to a reduced operating theatre schedule during the height of the coronavirus crisis.

Theatres were also being used at a reduced capacity due to increased cleaning requirements, and the need for more personal protection equipment by staff.

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Some patients were also reluctant to be admitted to hospital for surgery due to fears over Covid 19, but more efficient testing procedures had boosted confidence particularly among low risk patients.

Action to tackle the backlog includes doubling the number of operating theatres available for elective surgery from three to six by mid-September and using capacity in the private health sector.

Improved testing also means people can isolate for shorter periods before having surgery, enabling some short notice operations.

Concerns were also raised at the meeting about waiting times for cancer patients, with only around three quarters starting treatment within the target time of 62 days following an urgent referral.

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There are currently 78 patients waiting more than 104 days, according to a report to the board, which adds “however, at this time some of these patients are unable to proceed to surgery.”

Some of the hold ups faced by cancer patients have been blamed on backlogs in other services including in endoscopy, which are internal examinations.

The breast cancer screening programme has also been disrupted but is due to start up again in September.

However a recently introduced system to give some patients an appointment time to visit A&E following a call to the NHS 111 service, has proved successful.

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Berenice Groves, executive director of operations at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are seeing on average around 14 to 20 patients a day being booked in on appointments.

“We will see that start to increase. We believe that will help us to redirect patients into alternative pathways and we’re looking at a 10 per cent reduction in the emergency department overall.”

Achievements have also been made in reducing length of stay with more patients now being discharged at weekends rather than having to remain on wards until Monday.

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