In early December, a concerned husband contacted our newsdesk to say his elderly wife had been waiting for more than a year for a hip replacement as an NHS patient.
The operation was then cancelled at the last minute, with no new date set.
The woman was on a waiting list as an NHS patient at a private hospital in Bolton.
When contacted by The Bolton News, NHS Greater Manchester confirmed the operation had been postponed due to a “funding pause”.
WHAT NHS GREATER MANCHESTER SAY
NHS Greater Manchester said recent changes to national funding and contract rules for elective care meant “some treatments” in independent hospitals were temporarily paused while resources were focused on patients with the greatest clinical need.
Since the initial report, nearly 20 more residents have contacted The Bolton News with similar experiences, describing long waits for surgery followed by last-minute cancellations, with no rescheduled date provided.
Patients who have spoken to us said they were struggling with “pain and uncertainty” as waiting lists continued to grow.
All of the patients The Bolton News has spoken to were due to have operations at The Beaumont Hospital in Bolton.
They were told they would “know more in April” but, as far as we are aware, none has yet been given a new operation date.
The Bolton News then contacted Bolton’s three MPs and discovered that they too had been approached by concerned constituents about cancelled operations.
Bolton North East MP Kirith Entwistle told The Bolton News that her constituents deserved “clear information and accountability”.
On behalf of two constituents, Ms Entwistle wrote two letters to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
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Karin Smyth MP (Image: UK Government)
In response, the Minister of State for the DHSC, Karin Smyth, said she was “sorry to read of the patient’s health difficulties and the cancellation of the appointment”, but said that local NHS integrated care boards “are responsible for commissioning health services” and for managing activity within available budgets.
After reviewing that correspondence, The Bolton News contacted the Department directly, acknowledging that the funding pause was a local decision but seeking clarification on how this aligned with national policy and commitments to reduce NHS waiting times.
READ MORE: ‘Distressing’ NHS funding pause leading to operations being cancelled
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The Bolton News reveals impact of cancelled NHS operations
Bolton man’s ‘life on hold’ after cancelled NHS hip op due to funding
The Bolton News requested the Department’s view on the following:
• Whether DHSC considers last-minute cancellations of NHS-funded operations at private providers, due to funding pauses, to be acceptable within current elective recovery policy.
• What guidance, if any, DHSC provides to Integrated Care Boards on managing elective activity and budgets where this may result in patients being cancelled at very short notice.
• Whether the Department is aware of similar funding pauses or cancellations occurring elsewhere in England.
• How this situation aligns with national commitments on reducing waiting lists and meeting the 18-week referral to treatment standard.
WHAT THE DEPARTMENT FOR HEALTH SAY
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A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson responded: “It is completely unacceptable for surgery to be cancelled with a day’s notice.
“Local healthcare services are expected to set out their annual activity levels for NHS care so treatment is planned appropriately and available all year round.
“All providers of NHS care – independent or otherwise – should manage activity so those most in need are seen first as we tackle the waiting list.”
The Department said it is providing the NHS with record funding to return services to the levels the public expects, but stressed that it is not issuing open-ended funding and is instead introducing tighter financial discipline and long-term structural change.
It said that if healthcare providers deliver services beyond what is planned at the start of the year, they would require additional funding from the NHS, which would mean diverting money and services away from other patients.
To avoid this, plans are put in place to ensure treatment is available throughout the year while keeping services within budget.
The Department said these arrangements apply only to planned care and must not affect urgent referrals, such as patients with suspected cancer.
It added that these are long-term arrangements and should not result in surgery being cancelled at short notice.
Katherine Sheerin, chief healthcare commissioning officer at NHS Greater Manchester, told The Bolton News on January 13: “We recognise how worrying it can be for patients when planned appointments or surgery are affected.
“While we cannot comment on individual cases, planned care should be postponed rather than cancelled, and patients whose appointments are affected should be contacted directly with updated information.
“We are encouraging providers to reschedule procedures as soon as possible, and anyone with concerns should speak to their care provider.”
NHS Greater Manchester said the situation follows changes introduced by NHS England to funding and contract rules for elective care, which moved the system to a fixed allocation model.
Under the new approach, extra funding is no longer automatically available for activity above agreed plans.
As a result, integrated care boards must operate within a set budget, which NHS Greater Manchester said has led to some treatments in independent hospitals being temporarily paused to ensure services remain within available resources.
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Bolton North East MP Kirith Entwistle (Image: Office of Kirith Entwistle MP)
Ms Entwistle’s office said she continues to seek responses from NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board regarding the cancelled operations.
Her team said there are “cases open for several different constituents” and that the ICB has “yet to provide either a general response nor a response to any of the individuals set of circumstances.”
Ms Entwistle told The Bolton News: “The patients that have been impacted by cancelled appointments at Beaumont Hospital deserve better.
“They need clear information and accountability over what caused this situation and, crucially, what will happen next with their care.
“I will continue to push the ICB for a clear response to my constituents.”
A spokesperson for The Beaumont Hospital said: “We fully recognise the distress and uncertainty this temporary pause has caused for some NHS-funded patients.
“Patient safety and supporting those impacted is our number one priority. NHS patients who have exercised their right to choose The Beaumont Hospital for their NHS care remain under appropriate clinical oversight and will not be left facing uncertainty while we work to resolve this issue.
“We are working closely and constructively with NHS Greater Manchester to secure a sustainable, long-term funding solution that restores timely access to NHS-funded treatment for patients.”
This is the latest article in The Bolton News’ ongoing investigation into the funding pause.
NHS Greater Manchester has been contacted for comment.
