117 Children’s Operations Cancelled In Shrewsbury & Telford

117 children’s operations were cancelled at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust last year, many due to a shortage of staff and beds, figures uncovered by the Welsh Liberal Democrats have revealed.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has today urged the UK Conservative Government to come up with a rescue plan to bring the health service back from the brink.

The figures show that 117 children's operations were cancelled at the Shrewsbury and Telford Trust in 2022. The data was obtained by the Liberal Democrats through Freedom of Information requests, with responses received from 77 NHS hospital trusts in England. Overall nearly 60,000 children’s operations across England have been cancelled since 2018.

Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals serve the majority of Montgomeryshire’s population.

A majority of the operations at the trust were cancelled due to a lack of beds while a smaller proportion was due to a lack of staff.

The data also shows some children have been waiting at the trust for almost two years for an operation.

The Liberal Democrats are demanding a rescue plan for the NHS and care, including recruiting 8,000 more GPs, bringing in a higher minimum wage for social care workers and bringing in a proper NHS workforce plan. While health in Montgomeryshire is split between the Conservatives in England and Labour in Wales, any plans would trigger funding consequentials for Wales.

Commenting Liberal Democrat Councillor for Llanidloes Glyn Preston said:

“The shocking scale of cancelled children’s operations is a badge of shame for this Conservative government. Behind these figures are countless children and parents having to wait in pain and distress. 

“Years of neglect by this government have led to chronic staff shortages and a lack of hospital beds, with communities across the country paying the price.

“While local Conservatives like to blame Labour for problems in health, they cannot ignore the fact the vast majority of Montgomeryshire’s population receive complex and emergency treatment across the border in Shropshire, where the Conservatives are responsible for the situation.

“We urgently need a rescue plan from the Conservatives to bring these health services back from the brink.”

ENDS