Cancelled Operations - FOI Response Register

1. Please can you provide figures on the total number of patients who have had their operation cancelled for a second time? I would like these figures broken down by year for each of the past five years: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018.

For context, I am looking for incidents where the surgery was cancelled for non-clinical reasons (i.e. staff shortages, equipment problems, lack of theatre capacity) and also not at the request of the patient.

In accordance with FOISA s 16(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it holds the information requested but that it is exempt from disclosure under FOISA s 38(1)(b) as read with s 38 (2A) as the information constitutes personal data and disclosure would breach the confidentiality of the data subjects.

2. In addition, please can you provide the largest number of times that a single patient has had their operation cancelled for non-clinical reasons, over the past five years? Please could you name the operation in question (e.g. hip replacement), and the year that the last cancellation took place (e.g. 2022).

No patient had more than two cancellations.

In accordance with FOISA s 16(1), NHS Shetland confirms that it holds the information requested but that it is exempt from disclosure under FOISA s 38(1)(b) as read with s 38 (2A) as the information constitutes personal data and disclosure would breach the confidentiality of the data subjects.