A dangerous waiting game? a review of patient access to inguinal hernia surgery in England

This report, produced jointly with the British Hernia Society, finds that 57 per cent of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are denying patients quick access to to groin (inguinal) hernia operations. This is despite the fact that the only curative treatment for patients with a groin hernia is surgery. Following freedom of information requests the surgeons found: 52 per cent (95 CCGs) require patients to suffer from pain or discomfort sufficient to impede everyday activities or working life before surgery is allowed (often referred to as ‘watchful waiting’); five per cent (eight CCGs) require patients to demonstrate a history of incarceration and/or their hernia increasing in size from month to month; only 24 per cent (44 CCGs) had policies in line with clinical guidelines from the British Hernia Society and the Royal College of Surgeons; other CCGs did not have any form of restriction in place.ReportPress release
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: NHS measurement and performance Patient involvement, experience and feedback Source Type: blogs