More than 8,000 children’s operations cancelled since 2019, say Lib Dems

More than 8,000 operations for children have been cancelled since 2019, according to data obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Freedom of information requests revealed that between January 2019 and April 2023, 8,074 children’s operations were cancelled.

Last year, there were 1,927 cancellations, including 660 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board.

In 13 of the 14 territorial health boards, figures were provided for cancellations by both the hospital and the patient.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The shocking scale of cancelled children’s operations is a badge of shame for this nationalist government.

“Behind these figures are countless children and parents having to wait in pain and distress.

“Some of these operations will have been cancelled for good reasons but many more will be because the staff and equipment to perform them simply isn’t there.”

He added: “Years of neglect by this Government have led to chronic staff shortages with communities across the country paying the price.

“How can Humza Yousaf look parents and patients in the eye?

“Humza Yousaf’s NHS recovery plan has completely failed.

“We need a new plan which puts the experience and knowledge of NHS staff at the heart of it to bring local health services back from the brink.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The significant impact of COVID-19 since 2019 on the normal operation of the NHS cannot be underestimated.

“Some operations are cancelled for clinical reasons or because the patient cannot attend, and we have made it clear to boards that patients with the greatest clinical need, should not have their operations cancelled.

“Where cancellations do take place, the large majority are routine procedures, although we recognise the impact this has on the patient involved.

“We continue to work closely with health boards to ensure patients that have had their operations cancelled are seen as quickly as possible.”