The orthopaedic waiting list crisis: two sides of the story (14 July 2021)

Summary

Many elective orthopaedic procedures were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the number of patients on waiting lists for surgery is rising. This study looks at the disparities between inpatient and day-case orthopaedic waiting list numbers and the ‘hidden burden’ that exists due to reductions in elective secondary care referrals.

The authors looked at elective procedures at a single District General Hospital in the UK between 1 April and 31 December 2020 and compared data with the same nine-month period from 2019. The study found:

• a 52.8% reduction in elective surgical workload in 2020
• the total number of patients on waiting lists had risen by 30.1% in just 12 months
• inpatient waiting lists have risen by 73.2%, compared to a 1.6% rise in the day-case waiting list
• new patient referrals from primary care and therapy have reduced by 49.7%.

The authors highlight the disparity between inpatient and day-case waiting lists and predict an influx of new referrals as the pandemic eases. They call for robust planning and allocation of adequate resources to deal with the backlog.