Cancellation of planned operations
We are seeing increased demand for our services at present, due to Covid-19 and a high number of patients accessing urgent and emergency care.
To ensure we can continue to provide safe and effective care for those patients that need it, we have taken the decision to cancel all routine planned operations for the time being, other than for cancer and endoscopy.
Urgent and life saving surgery, and operations for those who have been waiting for longer than 80 weeks, will continue.
Most outpatient appointments and diagnostics (including MRI, CT, ultrasound, echocardiography and endoscopy) will go ahead as normal.
Our teams will be contacting those patients affected by this decision, and we will rebook their treatments as soon as possible.
If you are not contacted, please attend our hospitals as planned.
We are reviewing the situation daily, and will re-start planned care as soon we are in a position to do so.
Dr Elizabeth Aitken, Chief Medical Officer at the Trust, said:
‘’Our staff are very busy at present caring for a high number of inpatients, including those with Covid-19. We need to ensure we are in a position to provide safe and effective care for those patients most in need.
“We understand how disappointing and frustrating it is to have your surgery cancelled, and we apologise sincerely for the inconvenience caused.
“We are working closely with the South East London Critical Care Network to manage a rise in admissions. Covid inpatient numbers are still below the first wave in April, but they are on the rise, so everyone should continue to follow the national guidance to limit the spread of the virus - wash hands regularly, wear a face mask unless exempt and observe social distancing.”