Responding to new research from the Health Foundation showing surgical hubs could speed up efforts to tackle hospital waiting lists Rory Deighton, director of the NHS Confederation’s Acute Network, said:

“Tackling the waiting lists for routine hospital care is a key priority for NHS leaders and their teams, and they all recognise that this has to be a long-term ambition. However, workforce shortages in key areas, the ongoing issues of a dearth of social care and industrial action have thrown a spanner in the works, hampering productivity at a time when our members really wanted to be ramping it up.

“These long waits have a huge impact on patients, who are often waiting in pain or discomfort.

“NHS acute trust leaders recognise the significant pressures in the system and are utilising new innovative ways to manage elective procedures, including opening surgical hubs and hot and cold surgical sites. This new research shows that where surgical hubs have been introduced these have increased treatment volumes and reduced waiting times. This is yet more evidence that these programmes can make a tangible difference to tackling the waiting lists.

“There is an opportunity to go further faster however. Capital investment is necessary to repair crumbling estates and expand theatre space, and to boost productivity to the levels needed to reduce the backlogs. Our research suggests there needs to be a £6.4 billion a year rise in capital funding so that the NHS can carry out essential repairs, replace out of date equipment and invest in the latest digital technologies.”