Background: Cancellation of elective operations during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the number of patients waiting for treatment. In neurosurgery, treatment for spinal diseases, in particular, has been disproportionately delayed. We aim to describe the waiting list burden at our institution and forecast the time and theatre capacity required to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Methods: A retrospective evaluation of the waiting list records (both cranial and spinal), from January 2015-October 2022, inclusive, was conducted at a high-volume neurosciences centre. The average monthly decrease in the waiting list was calculated for the months since the waiting list was noted to fall consistently during or after the pandemic, as applicable. Five different scenarios were modelled to identify the time required to reduce the waiting list to the pre-pandemic level of December 2019. Data collection and analyses were performed on Excel (Microsoft).
Results: At the pre-pandemic threshold (December 2019), 782 patients were on the waiting list. Between January 2015-January 2020, inclusive, an average of 673 patients were on the waiting list but this has doubled over the subsequent months to a peak of 1388 patients in December 2021. Between December 2021-October 2022, on average, the waiting list reduced by 18 per month. At the current rate of change, the waiting list would fall to the pre-pandemic level by October 2024, an interval of 24 months. A seven-day service would require 18 months to clear the backlog. Doubling or tripling the current rate of change would require 12 months and 8 months, respectively.
Conclusions: Pre-existing, pandemic-related, and new NHS-wide challenges continue to have negative influences on reducing the backlog. Proposals for surgical hubs to tackle this carry the risks of removing staff from hospitals which cannot avoid emergency/urgent operating thereby further reducing those institutions' capacity to undertake elective work.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02688697.2023.2267126 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
A First Randomized Eight-Week Multidisciplinary Telerehabilitation Study for the Post-COVID-19 Condition: Improvements in Health- and Pain-Related Parameters.
J Clin Med
January 2025
Department of Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Danderyd University Hospital, 18288 Stockholm, Sweden.
This study investigates the effects of multidisciplinary telerehabilitation for the post-COVID-19 condition. : Recruitment was announced during 2021/22 through the COVID patient organisation in Sweden. The key inclusion criteria were persistent symptoms and functional impairments longer than 12 weeks after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, a stable health condition, and satisfactory skills to use the Internet.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Impact of Surgery Delay on Early-Stage Ovarian Cancer.
Life (Basel)
January 2025
1st Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" Hospital, 564 29 Thessaloniki, Greece.
(1) Background: Suspicious adnexal masses should be referred to gynecological oncology units. However, when surgery waiting lists are prolonged, these patients usually suffer from a delay in surgery. This could have a negative impact on their prognosis when the final diagnosis is ovarian cancer (OC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlasma GlycA, a Glycoprotein Marker of Chronic Inflammation, and All-Cause Mortality in Cirrhotic Patients and Liver Transplant Recipients.
Int J Mol Sci
January 2025
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
Low-grade chronic inflammation may impact liver disease. We investigated the extent to which circulating GlycA, a glycoprotein biomarker of low-grade inflammation, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are altered in patients with cirrhosis and liver transplant recipients (LTRs) and examined their associations with all-cause mortality. Plasma GlycA (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and hs-CRP (nephelometry) were assessed in 129 patients with cirrhosis on the waiting list for liver transplantation and 367 LTRs (TransplantLines cohort study; NCT03272841) and compared with 4837 participants from the population-based PREVEND cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAPPLICATION OF ULTRASOUND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PROCESSING OF HISTOLOGICAL MATERIAL.
Georgian Med News
November 2024
Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Aim Of Study: The pathological examination is one of the longest in the list of medical tests. Most of this time is spent on preparation for the slide. In addition, part of the chemical reagents needed for processing is not safe for the environment and the personal working in the laboratory.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA Next Available Appointment (NAA) Tool to Better Manage Patient Delay Risk and Patient Scheduling Expectations in Specialist Clinics.
Int J Health Plann Manage
January 2025
The Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Melbourne, Australia.
Every year there are approximately 3 million new outpatient specialist clinic appointments at local hospital networks in Victoria, Australia. Growing daily demand for these services leads to high-volume waiting lists and therefore long appointment delays for patients. This phenomenon emphasises the importance of providing analytics and tools to assist with waiting list management in outpatient specialist clinics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!