NHS anaesthetist shortage prevents 1.5m operations a year, report finds

Published 11 July 2026 · health

Exclusive: Alarming shortfall of specialists stops about 4,000 procedures a day, many for patients in urgent need of surgery The NHS is unable to perform

Exclusive: Alarming shortfall of specialists stops about 4,000 procedures a day, many for patients in urgent need of surgery The NHS is unable to perform 1.5m operations a year because of a drastic shortage of anaesthetists, a report reveals.

More than 8 million patients are on waiting lists across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many are in urgent need of a surgical procedure.

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