Pandemic sees almost 400 non-urgent operations cancelled in South Warwickshire during January and February

ALMOST 400 non-urgent operations have been cancelled in South Warwickshire in January and February because of the pandemic – but things are beginning to look up.

During the second wave of the pandemic, the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust has had to treat more Covid patients than at any other time, a level of demand which prompted all non-urgent operations to be halted.

In total, 399 non-urgent operations were cancelled in January and February.

However, las week the trust confirmed that procedures had restarting at the beginning of March.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “During the second wave of the pandemic we cared for more patients with Covid-19 than we had done at any other point previously.

“This increase in cases was felt across the whole of the NHS and resulted in most NHS organisations stopping all non-urgent procedures to ensure care was available to those who needed it most – life-saving operations and cancer procedures have continued throughout.

“Thankfully we are now in a position to recover a number of our services and from the beginning of March will be recommencing non-urgent elective procedures.”

In a message to residents with appointments scheduled, the spokesperson added: “We would like to like to assure our local communities that we have put in place all the necessary measures to make our hospitals safe.

“It is really important that you attend appointments or please let us know in advance so that the appointment can be offered to someone else.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, well over 1,000 coronavirus patients have been treated in hospital in south Warwickshire.

Last week the government lowered the UK’s coronavirus alert level from five to four, signifying that the risk of the NHS being overwhelmed had receded.

However, it is still vital that people continue to follow coronavirus restrictions as transmission rates, hospital pressure and deaths are still very high.

There was positive news for the region last week as it was revealed that Coventry and Warwickshire had delivered the highest vaccine uptake in the country, with first doses given to more than 95 per cent of over-65s in the area.

The impressive feat prompted praise from health secretary Matt Hancock, who called it a “spectacular effort”.