Emergency surgery patients’ lives at risk, surgeons warn

Poor NHS care is putting the lives of thousands of patients who need emergency surgery at risk, according to a new report.

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) has warned that poor access to facilities such as scanning machines and operating theatres means some emergencies are not spotted in time.

It added that a number of patients die or suffer major complications because of delays finding space in operating theatres.

Too few patients receive critical care after surgery, the RCS continued, while junior staff are often left to deal with post-surgical complications.

Iain Anderson, the author of the report and a consultant general surgeon at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, said a major review of practices is needed to ensure patients are receiving the quality of care they require.

"We have some of the NHS' sickest patients languishing on inappropriate wards, treated by juniors and with no plan in place to deal promptly with unexpected complications," he added.