A Freedom of Information request has revealed that nearly 5,000 children's operations have been cancelled in Milton Keynes over the past five years.
Liberal Democrat councillors are urging the government to come up with a 'rescue plan' after figures have revealed the amount of children's operations that have been cancelled in Milton Keynes due to a shortage of staff and beds.
4,995 children's operations have been cancelled over the past five years, with data showing that 1,229 of the cancellations were due to lack of beds and 464 due to staff shortages since 2018.
Another 110 were cancelled due to equipment problems, such as machines being faulty or not being available.
1,284 children’s operations were cancelled in 2022, an increase of 73% compared to the year before.
Councillor Jane Carr, Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: “Behind these shocking figures there are families in our city having to wait in pain and distress. Our overstretched local NHS health services are collapsing due to years of neglect by the Government and with extreme staff shortages and a lack of hospital beds, now local families are paying the price.”
Now, Liberal Democrats are asking for a 'proper plan' to tackle workforce shortages in the NHS, investing in newer equipment and increasing bed capacity at local hospitals.
