US EditionLast-minute knee surgery cancellations ‘cost millions and ramp up waiting lists’
Last-minute cancellations cost the NHS over £15.5 million and extend waiting lists, with 25% occurring less than 24 hours before surgery, researchers said.
- A new study by University of Bristol researchers found last-minute knee replacement cancellations cost the NHS millions and lengthen waiting lists amid over 110,000 annual procedures.
- Study data show a quarter of cancellations occurred within 24 hours and 60% within two to 14 days, often due to pre-op medication or running out of theatre time.
- The research team calculated each short‑notice knee replacement cancellation costs between 6500 and 11000, with authors warning cancellations pose a substantial, underappreciated problem.
- Patients often face waits exceeding a year, with cancellations erasing hope, while the NHS has opened 123 surgical hubs and offers personalised support to reduce delays.
- Authors urged striving for zero avoidable cancellations and said prevention programmes are a first step, acknowledging more work is needed to reduce patient and resource costs.
7 Articles
7 Articles
Evening Standard
Last-minute knee surgery cancellations ‘cost millions and ramp up waiting lists’
There was also a ‘great cost’ for affected patients.
Study Finds Knee Surgery Cancellations Have Cost the NHS More Than £15.5 Million
Research Highlights Frequency and Financial Impact of DelaysCancelling knee replacement surgeries is “unforgivable”, according to academics whose new research shows the scale of disruption and financial loss caused by last-minute postponements. A University of Bristol study examining six NHS hospitals found that one quarter of scheduled total knee replacement operations between 2018 and 2023 were cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice. The re…
Avoidable Cancellation of Knee Replacement Operations Costs NHS Millions and Increases Waiting Times
Thousands of NHS knee replacement operations are cancelled at short notice every year, many for avoidable reasons, according to a new study published today [1 December]. This costs the NHS millions of pounds and increases waiting times for patients, many of whom are in severe pain.
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