NHS England To Cancel Operations For Three Months Ahead Of Coronavirus Surge

17th March 2020

NHS Hospitals across England have been told to cancel operations for three months in a bid to free up 30,000 beds for coronavirus patients.

In a letter to NHS bosses sent today, NHS England said hospitals should look to cancel all non-urgent surgeries for at least three months.

Hospitals have been told to begin winding down activity immediately so that more staff can be trained and makeshift intensive care wards can be set up ahead of the expected surge in coronavirus cases.

Any cancer operations and patients needing emergency treatment will not be affected.

Sir Simon also said patients who did not need to be in hospital should be discharged as quickly as possible adding: "Community health providers must take immediate full responsibility for urgent discharge of all eligible patients identified by acute providers on a discharge list. For those needing social care, emergency legislation before Parliament this week will ensure that eligibility assessments do not delay discharge.

"This could potentially free up to 15,000 acute beds currently occupied by patients awaiting discharge or with lengths of stay over 21 days."

He added that the health service is block buying beds in private sector hospitals which will be completed within two weeks and will be available for use by the NHS. In addition social care companies have been asked to free up community beds within the next two weeks.