Waits for some appointments and surgery at Nottingham hospitals could grow longer if pressures do not ease on the NHS, a boss has warned. Anthony May, who leads Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), which runs Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) and City Hospital, said projections indicate that waiting lists may grow again during winter if elective activity remains at reduced levels.
NUH and the wider Nottinghamshire healthcare system declared a critical incident earlier this winter. In documents released ahead of an NUH board meeting this week, Mr May said winter pressures are "significantly impacting on our ability to undertake elective activity which is currently at much reduced levels".
He said while the trust's elective programme had made progress, waits for elective care could become longer. "We continue to treat as many elective patients as possible within available resource, with strong focus on those with highest clinical need and patients experiencing very long waits (over 104-weeks), which reduced at the end of December to just six," he said.
