MORE than 100 patients at GWH had their operations cancelled at the last minute this summer, figures show.

NHS England data revealed that 103 non-urgent operations were cancelled by the Swindon hospital trust in the three months to September. They include hip and knee procedures.

Campaigners have said the cancellations do not bode well for the busy winter months, when NHS trusts across the country typically see more patients coming through their doors.

At the Great Western Hospital there were fewer cancellations in July, August and September this year compared to the same period in 2017, when there were 121 cancelled operations. Those procedures were dropped for reasons like bed shortages or too few members of staff.

A GWH spokeswoman said cancelling an operation was never done lightly: “We only ever cancel operations last minute when it’s absolutely necessary and we apologise to all those patients who have experienced this and had to wait longer than anticipated.

"To be able to care for the increasing numbers of emergency patients coming into hospital it sometimes means we have to postpone less urgent planned operations during our busiest times. Over the last three months we have had to make 133 cancellations with only 37 of those being cancelled due to a lack of staff or beds.

"Cancelling an operation is never a decision taken lightly by our clinical teams and we aim to rebook within 28 days in line with national performance targets.

"Over the past year we have made a number of improvements to flow, which aim to reduce delays for patients in hospital freeing up much needed beds, this has helped us reduce the number of cancelled operations.

"Longer term, our national bid for funds to increase capacity in the hospital, if successful, will also help contribute towards improvements in areas like this.”

Nationally, 18,460 non-urgent operations were cancelled between July and September. Just under a tenth of these patients did not have their operations rescheduled within 28 days. If a trust is unable to reschedule a procedure within four weeks it must fund the treatment at another hospital.

Doctors’ groups said the number of cancelled operations across England could be a lot higher. The NHS England figures do not include operations cancelled at more than 24 hours’ notice.

Prof Cliff Shearman, vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “It is distressing to have an operation cancelled at the last minute and any delay in treatment could mean a patient’s condition deteriorates.

“These figures do not bode well for the winter months ahead, when hospitals traditionally see an increase in pressure.”

A spokesman for NHS England said: “Only a small minority of operations are cancelled on the day, while 15,000 fewer people now wait a year for their operation compared with 2010.

“New guidance issued to trusts recently will see local health service leaders allocate extra funding to community services, like district nursing teams and outreach clinics, to help them care for more patients, freeing up hospital beds and staff to reduce surgery waiting lists.”