Surgeries axed due to hospital capacity issues rose more than a fifth in May

Operations cancelled due to hospital capacity issues increased more than a fifth in May compared to the previous month, figures show.

The latest monthly figures from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show 2,003 surgeries were cancelled within 24 hours’ notice in May – 8.3% of the total 24,125 planned operations.

The percentage of operations cancelled decreased compared to April, when 8.7% were rescheduled.

Of all the planned operations in May, 734 were cancelled by the hospital on clinical grounds, while 730 were cancelled by the patient.

Some 475 were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons – a 22.7% increase when compared to April.

A further 64 were cancelled for other reasons, the PHS data shows.

Overall, the number of planned operations increased by 21.6% in May compared to April, and was 10.2% higher than the number of surgeries planned in May 2022.

It is a trend that has generally been on the rise since May 2020, and the 24,125 operations planned in May this year was the highest number on record since February 2020, when 27,645 were scheduled.

However, the activity is generally lower than pre-pandemic levels and when comparing to May 2019 when 29,672 operations were planned.

Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman Dame Jackie Baillie said: “Far too many patients are being failed because hospitals simply cannot cope – stuck for months or even years on NHS waiting lists, only to have their operation cancelled at the last minute.

“Staff are working tirelessly to keep things going, but they are also being let down by the SNP’s disastrous mismanagement of our NHS.

“This bleak picture is set to get worse still if the SNP fail to prevent strike chaos from hitting services and driving up waiting lists.

“The reality is Scottish hospitals cannot afford any more pressure – the SNP must get round the table and agree a fair deal for junior doctors.”

Scottish Conservatives health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane, said: “The backlog of operations is still standing at staggering levels and many patients are continuing to lie in agony as they suffer intolerable waits for appointments. This is often caused by a lack of beds being available due to the SNP’s failure to get on top of delayed discharge.

“The scale of this challenge is only likely to escalate – as the First Minister has admitted himself – if looming strikes by junior doctors ultimately take place.

“Often patients are having planned operations cancelled at the last minute which is utterly soul-destroying for them and sums up why the dispute with Scotland’s junior doctors must be resolved as quickly as possible.

“The Scottish Conservatives have outlined our vision of our NHS being modern, efficient and local. Michael Matheson as the SNP’s latest health secretary must rip up Humza Yousaf’s failed strategy and urgently outline how patients will be treated as quickly as possible.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Despite continuing pressures on the system, an average of 714 operations were carried out each day in May 2023, compared to 645 in May 2022.

“The total number of performed operations in May was 22,122, a 10.7% increase from May 2022 (19,984).”