Covid-19: Hospital pressures see cancer operations cancelled

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust oversees care at Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre

Cancer operations have been cancelled due to "Covid-19 and non-Covid related emergencies", a trust has confirmed.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) said pressure on intensive care units led it to "postpone some operations this week".

Medical director Keith Girling said the trust is working with local hospitals and officials "to carry out as many urgent operations as possible".

He said stopping procedures was an "extremely difficult decision".

• Covid could cause 'tsunami of cancelled NHS operations'

• Covid-19: Cancer surgery 'cancelled for 275 people in past week'

• Coronavirus: The impact of cancelled operations

During the pandemic, a number of hospital trusts across the UK have stopped carrying out many forms of surgery for periods of time, and by the end of last year thousands had been waiting for more than a year for procedures to be carried out.

While not all cancer operations have been cancelled by NUH, elective surgeries including some cancer procedures have been stopped.

The trust - which oversees care at Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre - said pressure caused by dealing with the coronavirus pandemic "continues to rise in our hospitals", with latest figures showing a slight rise in Covid-19 cases across the East Midlands.

Mr Girling said: "We have had to make the extremely difficult decision to postpone some operations this week due to pressure on our intensive care units and hospital beds from both Covid-19 and non-Covid related emergencies.

"We are working closely with local partner hospitals and the independent sector to ensure that we can continue to carry out as many urgent operations as possible."

• LOCKDOWN LOOK-UP: The rules in your area

• TEST AND TRACE: How does it work?

• THREE TIERS: How will the system work?

• SOCIAL DISTANCING: Can I give my friends a hug?

• TESTING: How do I get a virus test?