COVID-19: Protecting surgery through a second wave, Royal College of Surgeons of England

Restoring elective services in the context of COVID-19 represents one of the most complex challenges that the NHS has ever faced. Following the suspension of non-urgent elective procedures earlier in the pandemic, planned surgery is now re-starting again in many parts of the country thanks to the extraordinary hard work and dedication of surgeons, their teams and colleagues across the health service. Our survey of 970 surgeons working in hospitals across the UK highlights the challenges that persist. Key Recommendations: Funding for ring-fenced ' COVID-light ' surgical beds in every region Guarantee access to speedy COVID tests for surgical teams, to keep surgery safe Use of the independent sector to provide ' COVID-light ' sites must be maximised, not as an alternative to, but in addition to NHS hospitals Ensure the equitable allocation of nursing staff, theatre staff and anaesthetic staff, to support the continuation of surgery through the winter Every opportunity must be taken to support surgical trainees to gain experience and training time and complete their training
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news