In a string of damning reports into the pressures facing NHS Ayrshire and Arrran, today (4^th July) a report was released highlighting a growth in cancelled operations in Ayrshire and Arran due to a lack of staff, space or resources.

Last month saw 38 scheduled operations cancelled because of capacity or non-clinical reasons. That equates to an operation being cancelled every day because of lack of resources- over 300 per year. The statistics come on the back of a report produced earlier in June that showed patients waiting to be seen for chronic pain conditions in Ayrshire and Arran were having to wait over 16 weeks to be seen.

The growth of cancelled operations comes after strong performances earlier in the year where only 9 operations were cancelled due to capacity issues in January 2017.

South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth MSP said:

“These latest figures are deeply disappointing for patients in Ayrshire and Arran. The staff are working round to clock but there is only so much they can do. We are facing a staffing crisis, morale at rock bottom in the NHS and the Government are not taken these concerns seriously. Our NHS staff are well respected locally but residents but there simply aren’t enough of them due to a lack of funding by the Government and a real recruitment crisis. We have seen these figures get worse every month this year. We need the Government to focus on the day job. Ayrshire and Arran deserve so much better than this.”

For the full table breakdown please see:

 http://www.isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Waiting-Times/Publications/data-tables2017.asp?id=1883#1883