Wednesday 08 May 2024
Internal Reference Number: FOI_6611
Date Request Received: 31/05/2022 00:00:00
Date Request Replied To: 22/06/2022 00:00:00
This response was sent via: By Email
Request Summary: Breast Cancer Now Reconstructive Breast Surgery
Request Category: Companies
| Question Number 1: Part A- Delayed reconstructive surgery backlog Following the suspension of reconstructive surgery in March 2020 as a result of the pandemic, when was reconstructive surgery restarted within your trust, for: a.Immediate reconstruction? b.delayed reconstructive surgery (by delayed reconstructive surgery we mean reconstructive surgery that happens after a mastectomy as opposed to immediate reconstructive surgery which occurs concurrently)? | |
| Answer To Question 1: Delayed reconstruction restarted Nov 2021 fully but there were some reconstructions done in Dec 2020 before the second major COVID wave. Immediate reconstruction occurred in a similar timeframe but there were a few patients operated on in an adhoc fashion throughout. | |
| Question Number 2: What percentage of patients who have been on the waiting list since March 2020 to May 2022 have had their reconstructive breast surgery, for: a.immediate reconstruction? b.delayed reconstruction? | |
| Answer To Question 2: 82.2% of patients who have been on the waiting list since March 2020 for their reconstructive breast surgery are no longer waiting. We can only answer about breast reconstruction surgeries in general as information not held for the split between immediate or delayed reconstruction. | |
| Question Number 3: At what proportion of capacity (i.e. average number of patients operated on per month) is the service currently operating at for: a.immediate reconstruction? b.delayed reconstructive surgery? | |
| Answer To Question 3: For the period 01/01/2022 to 20/06/2022 the average number of patients operated on per month for Breast Reconstruction Surgery was 5. We can only answer about breast reconstruction surgeries in general as information not held for the split between immediate or delayed reconstruction. | |
| Question Number 4: At what capacity (average number of patients operated on per month) was the service operating at pre-pandemic for (January 2019 – January 2020)? a.immediate reconstruction? b.delayed reconstructive surgery? | |
| Answer To Question 4: We can only answer about breast reconstruction surgeries in general as information not held for the split between immediate or delayed reconstruction. For the period 01/01/2019 to 01/01/2020 the average number of patients operated on per month for Breast Reconstruction Surgery was 9. | |
| Question Number 5: What was the average waiting time for receiving reconstruction in your trust between 2018-2019 (in weeks) for: Free- flap reconstruction a.Immediate? b.Delayed? Implant reconstruction a.Immediate? b.Delayed? | |
| Answer To Question 5: Free- flap reconstruction = 6 weeks (combined immediate and delayed reconstruction). Implant reconstruction = n/a (0 patients treated in the time period). | |
| Question Number 6: What is the current average waiting time for receiving delayed reconstruction in your trust (in weeks) for: Free- flap reconstruction a.Immediate? b.Delayed? Implant reconstruction a.Immediate? b.Delayed? | |
| Answer To Question 6: We do not hold the information for the split between immediate and delayed reconstructions. Free-flap reconstruction = 15 weeks. Implant reconstruction = n/a (0 patients currently waiting). | |
| Question Number 7: 6. What is the current average wait time for additional surgeries (i.e. balancing and correction surgeries) in your trust? | |
| Answer To Question 7: We are unable to answer this question as these surgeries are coded using diagnosis codes and we do not record these codes in our waiting list so we cannot identify patients waiting by diagnosis. | |
| Question Number 8: Part B- Reconstructive and balancing breast surgery- procedural limits 1. Does your trust operate under any policies or guidance which place limitations on the number of reconstructive surgical procedures a breast cancer patient is able to access, including limiting the number of balancing surgeries (procedures to the unaffected breast to ensure it matches the reconstructed breast)? a. If so, could you please provide details of the limitations and how long they have been in place? | |
| Answer To Question 8: We adhere to national guidelines and CCG recommendations. Specifically there are guidelines produced by Wiltshire/Swindon/Bath&NE Somerset which were produced in 2017 and have been reviewed since. Available on their website. | |
| Question Number 9: Part C- Reconstructive and balancing breast surgery- time limits Does your trust operate under any policies or guidance which place limitations on the timescale for surgical procedures a breast cancer patient is able to access, including for balancing surgeries? a. If so, could you please provide details of the policy and how long it has been in place? | |
| Answer To Question 9: We adhere to national guidelines and CCG recommendations. Specifically there are guidelines produced by Wiltshire/Swindon/Bath&NE Somerset which were produced in 2017 and have been reviewed since. Available on their website. See also attachment to Q8. | |
| Please see Attachments: | |
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Our staff at Salisbury District Hospital have long been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment they provide for our patients and for their innovation, commitment and professionalism. This has been recognised in a wide range of achievements and it is reflected in our award of NHS Foundation Trust status. This is afforded to hospitals that provide the highest standards of care.
