Thousands of patients face a wait of over a year for treatment at local hospitals due to the lockdown
The cancellation of a large number of NHS operations and appointments since March has created a huge backlog of treatments at Royal Derby Hospital and Burton’s Queen Hospital
Normally, only a few patients would wait more than 12 months before being treated Today, this figure rises to more than 2,500
And when lockdown restrictions were relaxed, efforts to reduce the number of people on the waiting list were hampered by the need for social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
Since June, there has been a fivefold increase in the number of patients waiting 12 months or more for treatment
The main area affected for elective surgery is orthopedics, including hip and knee operations Cancer patients remain at the top of the queue for treatment
Zara Jones, planning officer for Joined-Up Care Derbyshire, which oversees all NHS services in the city and county, spoke about the issue during a Derby City Council review committee
She revealed a graph showing that 2,509 people were awaiting 52 weeks of treatment at Derby University Hospitals and Burton NHS Foundation Trust as of the week ending October 2 In March, that number was only 45
Ms Jones said about 40% of people on the waiting list are waiting for trauma and orthopedic treatment or operations
She also pointed out that there is an unidentified need on top of that as well, as parts of the population have not come forward for health care, avoiding NHS services due to Covid issues- 19
Another slide shown by Ms Jones said: ‘Waiting lists will not be reduced unless the NHS can work above 100% activity
« Although social distancing measures are necessary to be in place, our ability to deliver is limited »
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During the meeting, Dr Robyn Dewis, Director of Public Health for Derby City Council, said: ‘The NHS has been working really hard to reduce these waiting lists, but in reality these waiting lists ‘wait are offset from the period in which no activity was in progress (during the lockdown)
« On top of that, even when you manage to hit 90 or 95% activity, you still don’t catch up, there is always a build-up of cases and it will be an incredible challenge for the winter. how to handle this situation «
Sharon Martin, Director of Operations at the Derby and Burton Hospital Trust, said: “As seen in other NHS Trusts across the country, we have unfortunately seen an increase in the number of patients facing severe long waits for non-urgent procedures, as Covid -19 has forced us to reduce the number of elective cases
« The specialties that undertake the majority of our routine procedures, for example orthopedics, have been the most affected
« This unfortunately means that patients have had to wait longer for routine surgeries, like hip and knee operations, than we would like
« Covid-19 has affected our services in different ways and forced us to prioritize patients who need urgent care, such as those undergoing cancer treatment
« Our staff are working very hard to restore our services and we are doing everything we can to ensure our patients get the treatment they need as quickly as possible »
In July, the Derby and Burton trust announced plans to increase capacity with new capital projects, including a new orthopedic treatment center at London Road Community Hospital in Derby
This, he says, will help prevent the waiting list from growing and manage patients who wait the longest
Lockdown, Derbyshire, healthcare
News from around the world – GB – Lockdown leaves thousands of people waiting for hospital treatment a year
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
