The Trust has welcomed news of a continued decrease in surgical cancellations this winter.
From November 2019 to January 2020, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust cancelled only two of the 2,998 elective operations scheduled due to winter bed pressures.
This represents a further reduction in cancellation rates as compared to the same period last year, when the Trust needed to cancel just six out of 3,152 operations.
Chris Tulloch, deputy medical director for the Trust, said: “Even during our busiest period, the winter, we’ve managed to keep enforced cancellations to an absolute minimum.
“Our surgical teams have been working hard to adapt their schedules as needed and making sure we are working as efficiently as possible.
“Our minimal number of cancellations due to bed-pressures is something to celebrate.”
Looking after the health of the region
The low number of cancelled surgeries plays a part in the overall health aspirations the Trust has for the population it serves.
Chris continues: “Teesside is victim to varying health inequalities. It’s no secret that people in our region are prone to serious health problems and can often have a lower life expectancy than people living just a few miles away.
“Ensuring operations are carried out as planned allows our patients the best opportunity to recover from their illness or injury and to get back on with their lives as quickly as possible.
“As we look to a new future in the NHS, it’s important that we all do our part to make our lives as healthy as possible.
“Our commitment is to provide the best medical care possible, to employ the best people and use our financial resources appropriately, to learn from mistakes and to keep improving.
“But we can’t be solely responsible for the region’s health.
“We need to help people take ownership of their own health. There needs to be an open and honest conversation about this. As a region, we need to take the lead and put our own health aspirations first.
“It’s easier said than done. We know that some of our health inequalities are often caused by poverty and financial inequality. We want to support our population to make the sensible changes that can lead to better health for all.”
