A survey conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Mölnlycke, a medical solutions company, has found that the elective care surgery backlog is of concern to 70% of surgeon staff. The survey has revealed the devastating impact of pauses in elective surgical procedures triggered by the COVID-19 crisis. Among the results, 70% of respondents said they are concerned about the backlog of procedures at their hospital trust. Over 500 respondents were involved in the study, all were healthcare professionals working in operating theatres across the NHS and private sector.

There are now more than 40 million people waiting on elective care treatment. Top causes of the high backlog figures that were identified by respondents included: prioritisation of hospital beds (26%), cancellations (25%), re-prioritisation of staff (23%) and extra theatre and kit preparation (22%). 72% of respondents agreed that COVID-19 has resulted in the increased importance of prevention of healthcare-associated infections, including Surgical Site Infections, at their hospital trust.

Responding to the findings of the survey, Lindsay Keeley, Patient Safety & Quality Lead at the Association for Perioperative Practice said: “With the impact of COVID-19 emerging across the NHS, demands are set to rise disproportionately for elective care procedures.” She said that her organisation is deeply concerned about the effects of the backlog, “not only on patients’ health as they await vital treatment, but also the impact on workforce capacity and morale