Large rise in operations cancelled by patients

More than 700 planned operations were cancelled by patients in March, the highest figure since the start of the Covid pandemic, new figures show.

The number of "elective" operations in theatre increased to 22,000, up 17% on the previous month.

This was the second-highest figure since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

But the latest figures show 2,109 operations were cancelled in March 2022, the highest figure for two years.

Public Health Scotland said 744 were cancelled by the hospital for clinical reasons, the highest number since before the pandemic.

The figures also showed 553 operations were cancelled for non-clinical capacity reasons.

And 739 (3.4% of all operations) were cancelled by patients the day before or on the day they were due to be treated, the highest number since March 2020 when the figure was 818.

The restrictions brought in by Covid meant that the number of planned operations slumped from more than 20,000 in March 2020 to 3,400 in April that year.

The number of planned operations in March this year is still 5,000 short of the last full month before the pandemic.

Public Health Scotland said scheduling of operations continued to be impacted by the Covid pandemic.

The rate of cancelled planned operations ranged widely across the country, with NHS Highland having by far the highest.

One in five planned operations were cancelled in Highland in March, mostly due to non-clinical capacity reasons.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said the number of cancelled operations was deeply concerning, especially as the NHS had been officially taken off an emergency footing.

"We need to get back to more than pre-pandemic capacity to catch up and start to clear the enormous surgical backlog - but the SNP government seem unable to devise a plan to get on top of this crisis and, as a result, waiting times are likely to grow further," he said.

A Scottish government spokesperson described the increase in planned operations despite the presence of the BA.2 Omicron subvariant of Covid as a "significant positive step in the right direction".

The spokesperson added: "We are working with NHS boards to get those who have had treatments or procedures postponed due to Covid-19 the care they need as quickly as possible."