Thousands of patients face cancelled NHS appointments or operations due to Queen’s funeral

Thousands of hospital and GP appointments have been cancelled due to the public holiday surrounding the Queen's funeral on Monday.

Many hospitals are to postpone outpatient appointments and planned operations because of reduced staffing, while most GP surgeries will also close.

NHS hospitals in England have been urged to contact patients who could be affected, whether or not their appointment has been postponed.

Some hospitals have said they will be operating as usual, while others have said that they will postpone some non-urgent appointments.

Some patients and doctors have expressed concern about their appointments being postponed.

One doctor told The Independent: “I have the greatest respect for the Queen ... but when patients are waiting up to two years to be seen ... really?

One GP leader in London said practice staff were now getting “abuse” over the bank holiday closures.

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Source: The Independent, 14 September 2022