Planned surgery ‘should be performed locally’

The Department of Health (DoH) has announced the publication of a new report, Saws and Scalpels to Lasers and Robots – Advances in Surgery, calling for the bulk of planned surgery on the NHS to be performed locally.

Written by Professor Sir Ara Darzi, the report recommends that 80 per cent of surgery be conducted close to the patient’s home, while the remaining 20 per cent of more complex cases are carried out at specialist centres.

The report cites technological advances in surgery and the development of novel pharmaceuticals as the causes of simplification or eradication of the need for surgery in some cases.

Prof Sir Ara Darzi said: “While I have been practising as a surgeon there have been major advances in surgical techniques.

“The NHS is not yet providing surgery in a way that makes the most of the progress in surgery over the last 20 years.”

He added that the NHS should be performing an increased amount of minimally-invasive day-case surgery, while also calling for the most skilled surgical teams to be involved in the most complex cases.

Last week, the DoH announced plans for a 50 million pound investment in NHS community hospitals and “super surgeries”.