NHS surgical activity reaches its highest value ever in 2016

The number of patients treated in the NHS reached the highest level ever in 2016, with 568,765 surgeries performed, 1,5% more than 2015, and 65,000 more than 2011.

Also in 2016, it was registered the highest number of entries in the list of patients enrolled for surgery since it was set up a registry management system (SIGIC), which signals the increase in the demand of NHS hospitals for surgical activity.

As to the average waiting time, it remained on around 3 months (3.1 months), with an improvement of the maximum response time guaranteed for patients with higher priority levels.

Regarding surgical time response, with the publication of a new diploma that establishes new Maximum Response Time Guaranteed, the maximum surgical response time was decreased to the normal priority level, moving from 270 to 180 days. This diploma allows, for the first time in the NHS, the measurement of the total response time that is assured to the patient in the whole of his/ her hospital journey.

The improvement in the NHS surgical activity has been consolidated in recent years, with a high performance in terms of outpatient surgery, which at the end of 2016 registered for the first time a total of 60% of all surgeries performed. Furthermore, the establishment, in May 2016 of the Incentive Program for Surgical Activity, also reinforced the articulation among public hospitals.

Publicado em 12/9/2017