Thousands of operations cancelled in Portsmouth last year with calls to tackle problem 'at its root'

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust saw 5,296 procedures postponed in the past 12 months. Cancellations were caused by a lack of skilled staff to deliver surgeries, a shortage of patient beds and equipment failure.

The data was laid bare following a freedom of information request by the Labour Party on November 11, 2022. Staff shortages was the most common reason behind cancellations, with 808 operations disrupted in Portsmouth.

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Roughly one in five operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons in 2021-2022 were due to a lack of workers.

Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said: ‘Patients are forced to wait longer for vital operations because the Conservatives have failed to train enough staff over the past 12 years.

‘Having operations cancelled causes huge disruption to patients, and prevents them from being able to get on with their lives.

‘Labour will tackle this problem at its root. We will train a new generation of doctors and nurses so patients get the treatment they need, when they need it.

‘We will abolish non-doms to pay for it because patients need treatment more than the wealthiest need a tax break and if you live and work in Britain you should pay your taxes here.’

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Statistics from the Portsmouth trust show 254 operations were cancelled due to bed shortages, 99 by equipment failures, 223 by theatre lists overrunning, 749 by emergency care taking priority and zero caused by administrative errors.

Labour has set targets to train 10,000 new nurses and midwives each year among other health measures if they are elected.