In recent years the NHS has been under extreme pressure. Staffing levels, funding and high demand have all been cited as issues affecting the health service since even before the Covid pandemic.
But with the additional strain of coronavirus, as well as strikes, hospitals across the UK have reached breaking point.
Already in 2024, three hospital trusts have declared “critical incidents”, urging people not to come unless absolutely vital.
And experts are warning that it will be the patients who pay the ultimate price. New data has shown the extent of the problem on cancer services in the UK.
According to data obtained through freedom of information requests, almost 4,000 cancer-related surgeries were cancelled in 2022/23. However, patients living in one city were hit harder than anywhere else.
As reported by the Bristol Post, the figures collated by the Liberal Democrats showed more operations were cancelled in Bristol than in other cities.
The North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Southmead Hospital and covers Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset, scrapped 547 cancer operations.
This was significantly more than anywhere else in the country.
Second-worst affected was the Medway NHS Foundation Trust where 347 surgeries were cancelled.
Third and fourth were University Hospital Southampton (258) and the Isle of Wight NHS Trust (254).
Overall, a total of 3,947 operations were scrapped in 2022/23.
This was an eight percent increase from the previous year when 3,662 surgeries were cancelled.
Of the cancelled operations, 304 were due to staff being unavailable or sick, 302 due to a lack of beds and 150 because of equipment issues.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey described the statistics as “shocking” and warned that patients are being “catastrophically let down”.
He is calling for a legal right for cancer patients to start treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral.
“These shocking figures show that cancer patients across the country are being catastrophically let down,” he said.
“Every cancelled operation can have a devastating impact on patients and their families. We know that when it comes to cancer care, delays can cost lives.
“The Liberal Democrats have set out an ambitious plan to end unacceptable cancer delays and boost survival rates.
“We will hold this Conservative Government to account for every target it misses and every patient it fails.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment in relation to the statistics from the Liberal Democrats.
According to the Health Foundation the NHS waiting list reached 7.75 million in August 2023.
This is up from three million in February 2014, and 4.6 million just before the COVID-19 pandemic, in February 2020.
