Safer Evidence

REducing Severity, Impact and LIkelihood in Elective short-Notice CancEllations (RESILIENCE) - a feasibility study in the East of England

Sometimes, planned surgeries are cancelled at the very last minute — often within 24 hours of when they were meant to happen. These short notice cancellations (SNCs) can be very upsetting and stressful for patients and their families. They can also lead to serious health problems if the delay causes someone’s condition to get worse. Around half of these cancellations happen because of pressures in the hospital, such as not enough beds or staff.

Our research aims to reduce these last-minute cancellations. We’ll do this by using data that hospitals already collect as part of everyday care. Starting with Cambridge University Hospital, we’ll look at how and why these cancellations happen. We’ll explore how surgeries are currently planned and rescheduled, and what factors lead to them being cancelled.

We will then create a real-time dashboard to help hospital staff see which operations are most at risk of being cancelled. This will help them take early action to avoid it. We’ll work closely with patients, hospital staff, and managers to develop practical ways to reduce cancellations — or, if they do happen, to make sure hospital resources are quickly used to help other patients instead.

To see if our approach works, we’ll measure changes in cancellation rates and how operating theatres are used before and after we make improvements. We’ll also speak to patients and staff about their experiences.

This project was shaped through workshops and interviews with patients who had their surgery cancelled at short notice, as well as with hospital staff. Our study has been reviewed by patient and public involvement (PPI) representatives to make sure it reflects what matters most to people. We believe this work could help many hospitals across the UK that carry out a large number of planned operations.

Lead Investigator

Katharina Kohler