Many hospitals are set to postpone outpatient appointments and scheduled procedures due to reduced staffing, and most doctors’ offices will also close. NHS hospitals in England have been urged to contact patients who could be affected, whether their appointment has been postponed or not. Some hospitals said they would operate as normal, while others said they would postpone some non-urgent appointments. Meanwhile, NHS leaders have called on the government to clarify whether all NHS staff in England will have to work and whether they will be entitled to the usual higher rates of pay for public holidays. Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: “As health and frontline care staff are given different rates of pay for working during public holidays, NHS leaders await confirmation from the Government that these extra costs will be reimbursed full of you.” Hospital trusts are expected to make their own decisions about appointments based on local staffing levels and if local transport means patients and staff cannot attend. Some patients and doctors have expressed concern about postponing their appointments. One doctor told the Independent: “I have the greatest respect for the Queen… but when patients wait up to two years to be seen… really?” Sources at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) said the trust was canceling outpatient appointments, but emergency and “vital” services would continue. In an email to staff, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospital Trust (SWBH) said planned emergency cancer operations would go ahead provided staffing levels were “safe”. The message said all other scheduled non-urgent primary care, scheduled procedures and outpatient appointments will be rescheduled. Both UHB and SWBH have told staff they will receive increased rates for working on bank holidays. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital told the FT that emergency, emergency and cancer operations would continue, but added: “A reduced routine service will also be provided to enable as many staff as possible to take part in the bank holiday and attend her funeral. of Queen Elizabeth II”. A chief GP in London said practice staff are now being “abused” due to bank holiday closures. In the meantime, patients were asked to check that they have adequate medication. NHS officials in North East Essex and Suffolk said: “GPs will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday 19 September for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. “If you have an appointment for that day, we will contact you to reschedule. If you are using repeat prescription drugs, check that you will have enough to last.’ Oxford Health NHS added: “Patients in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West are reminded to order repeat prescriptions in plenty of time for the coming bank holiday weekend.” The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said that medical specialists due to sit exams on Monday should be postponed until January. In a statement, it said the areas used for the tests would be closed and the cancellations would have a “significant” impact and be “disruptive” for doctors. The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
