Surgeries to be postponed in Leeds amid shortage of 'bone cement' as NHS apologises to patients
The NHS Trust in Leeds has apologised after announcing that pre-planned surgeries will be postponed due to a shortage of bone cement.
There is currently a global supply issue from the NHS’s main provider of bone cement - an acrylic that helps seal joints after surgery - and so delays are expected for those waiting for knee and hip replacements and other procedures.
As a result, hospitals have been ordered to direct their supply for use in trauma and urgent care.
A statement has been issued by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital, saying that it will need to delay some surgeries.
It reads: “Here in Leeds, alongside the rest of the NHS, we are having to take measures to preserve our current supply of bone cement to ensure the most urgent patients can still be cared for.
“While we are doing everything we can to minimise disruption, we will need to postpone some elective (planned) surgery to ensure we have enough stock over the coming weeks.
“We are very sorry we are having to do this and we know the frustration this will cause patients who have already waited a long time for their surgery.
“If you have planned orthopaedic surgery, you do not need to get in touch – we will contact you directly if we have to rearrange your surgery. If you do not hear from us, please assume your surgery is still going ahead.”
Bone cement is used to anchor artificial joints and fills the space between the new joint and the patient’s bone.
There are a number of different types of medical cement and they can also be used in a number of different operations, including orthopaedic and dental surgery.
It is understood the NHS has supply for the next two weeks and officials have estimated there could be a gap of six to eight weeks’ supply.
Campaigners said the news is a “crushing blow” to patients who have been waiting for surgery.
It comes after Heraeus Medical, the main supplier of bone cement for the NHS which is based in Germany, reported a packaging fault affecting its bone cement products.
The issue has temporarily halted production at its main site and will impact product availability for at least two months.