The cancellation of operations at short notice is distressing and inconvenient for patients. The NHS Plan put in place incentives for NHS Trusts to reduce cancellations and to make sure that, where operations are cancelled at short notice, patients are given a new firm date quickly. From 1st April 2002, if a patient's operation is cancelled by the hospital on the day of surgery for non-clinical reasons, the hospital will have to offer another binding date to treat the patient within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient's treatment at the time and hospital of the patient's choice. From 1st April 2003, this guarantee was extended to cover those patients whose operation is cancelled on or after the day of admission.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Band 1 - poor | Greater than 1.5% |
| Band 2 | - |
| Band 3 | Less than or equal to 1.5% and greater than 0.5% |
| Band 4 | - |
| Band 5 - good | Less than or equal to 0.5% |
Monthly Monitoring Returns (Financial Year 2004/05)
QMCO Quarterly Monitoring Cancelled Operations (Financial Year 2004/05)
Numerator:
The number of last minute cancelled operations for non-clinical reasons summed across all four quarters of 2004/05. Operations cancelled "at the last minute" is defined as "cancellations [by the hospital] for non-clinical reasons on the day patients are due to arrive, or after arrival in hospital, or on the day of their operation or surgery".
Denominator:
The total number of General and Acute First Finished Consultant Episodes (FFCEs) for elective activity (inpatient ordinary and day case admissions) in 2004/2005 using cumulative figures reported in the March 2005 monthly monitoring return.
Indicator:
The number of last minute cancelled operations for non-clinical reasons summed across all four quarters of 2004/2005 divided by the total number of General and Acute First Finished Consultant Episodes (FFCEs) for elective activity (inpatient ordinary and day case admissions) in 2004/2005 using cumulative figures reported in the March 2005 monthly monitoring return.
Expressed as a percentage.