'Standby' patients for Surgery

Child in hospital bed looking at a doctor What is a 'Standby' patient?

Following the pandemic, waiting lists for surgery are longer and we are seeing more patients cancel their operation on the day or the day before due to children being unwell or testing positive for COVID-19. We call this a 'short notice cancellation'.

We want to ensure our operating theatre time is used as efficiently as possible, so all the children we look after can receive their surgery as quickly as possible.

To help with that, we are preparing one extra patient for each operating list as a 'standby' patient that will be able to have their operation if there is a short notice cancellation.  However, if there are no short notice cancellations the standby patient would not be able to have an operation that day.

What does it mean to be a 'standby' patient?

  • If any routine patients cannot have their booked operation on that day, you will be contacted, and your child will be able to have their operation that day.
  • If this happened you could be contacted either in the days prior to the operation date, or on the day of the planned operation itself.
  • In the instance you are contacted on the day of the operation, you would receive a phone call between 8.45am and 9.30am.
  • If your child can have their operation on that day, you would need to be able to arrive at the hospital by 10.30am on that day.
  • If your child is not able to have their operation that day, as a standby patient, their consultant's secretary will contact you to offer you a planned date for their surgery.
  • You would also be offered the opportunity to be a standby patient again, this would be on an earlier date than the planned date for your child's operation and would not affect your child's place on the waiting list. However, you do not have to be a standby patient again if you do not wish to be.

How do you become a 'standby' patient?

  • Once your child has been identified as requiring a non-urgent operation you would be contacted via DrDoctor, the NHS secure messaging App, to ask if you would be interested in your child being a standby patient.
  • If you agree for your child to be a standby patient, this decision will last for six months, after which you will be contacted again to confirm whether you still wish to continue to be a standby patient.
  • You will also be able to change your mind if you no longer wish your child to be a standby patient at any time. Please just contact your child's consultant's medical secretary.
  • If you do not wish your child to be a standby patient, this will not affect the care your child receives or their place on the waiting list.
  • Not all consultants can offer 'standby' patient operation dates

If you have any further questions about being a standby patient, please contact your consultant’s secretary.