Surgery
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support NHS trusts to increase same-day elective procedure capability.
Answered by Karin Smyth
Same-day elective procedures, or day surgeries, allow patients to be treated and discharged on the same day, helping to reduce waiting times, minimising cancellations due to bed pressures, and supporting patients to recover more quickly, in the comfort of their own home.
To expand same-day capability, we are investing in dedicated elective surgical hubs focused on high-volume, low-complexity procedures. These hubs improve productivity and support more patients to return home the same day, in line with the Right Procedure, Right Place principles.
There are currently 124 operational hubs in England, 23 of which have opened since the Government took office. Over the next three years, we are committed to increasing the number of hubs to boost surgical capacity and deliver faster access to common procedures.
NHS England also continues to run the Getting It Right First Time programme, as part of which trusts are supported to maximise hub productivity and increase the proportion of inpatient procedures completed as day surgeries.
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