MP: "51 operations a month are cancelled by Morecambe Bay NHS trust"

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has commented on figures that show that 51 operations a month are being cancelled at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust. Tim has said that these figures are unacceptable.

The figures released by the Department of Health and NHS England show that between July and September 153 operations across the trust's three hospitals were cancelled.

In comparison, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust cancelled just 56 operations over the whole three month period. Royal Liverpool cancelled 33 operations a month and Blackpool Teaching Hospital cancelled just 35 procedures a month.

Tim made the point that some operations need to be cancelled for routine reasons but these figures seem incredibly high for a small rural trust. He also made the point that a trust with a deficit in the region of £30 million should not be cancelling so many routine operations like this.

Tim has asked for a formal response from trust bosses about why the trust is cancelling so many operations.

Tim has also called for more surgery to be done at Westmorland General Hospital, which he believes will offer more services to patients and will utilise the hospital. Tim is arguing for this to happen because Westmorland General is the only hospital run by the trust that was rated at or above national standard by the Care Quality Commission and was scored 'good'. By comparison the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital both 'require improvement'.

Tim said: "Operations have to be cancelled for a number of reasons, I understand that but having to cancel so many operators on such a regular basis shows that something is not working.

"I believe that it also shows that Lancaster is too overloaded and that we need to rationalise services and bring some back to Westmorland General where there is more space."