More than 1,300 planned operations were cancelled at a major NHS trust after a critical incident caused by a shortage of sterile surgical instruments, triggering delays that are expected to worsen already stretched waiting lists.
The disruption occurred at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Arrowe Park Hospital and Clatterbridge Hospital. The trust declared a critical incident in October after a mechanical failure in its Sterile Services Department left residue on surgical instruments, making them unsafe for use.
The department is responsible for sterilising equipment used in operations, and the failure meant large volumes of instruments were unavailable, forcing the trust to cancel elective procedures over a period of several weeks.
Thousands of procedures cancelled
Internal reports to the trust board confirmed that more than 1,300 elective theatre cases were cancelled as a direct result of the incident. While emergency and urgent cancer surgeries continued, routine and planned operations were postponed, with some patients diverted to neighbouring hospitals where possible.
The BBC understands the financial impact of the cancellations is expected to run into the millions of pounds, although the trust said it is still calculating the full cost.
Impact on cancer and waiting list targets
Board papers published in early December showed a sharp deterioration in waiting time performance. The number of patients waiting more than 65 weeks from referral to treatment rose from four to 26, with 21 cases directly linked to the sterile services failure.
The report warned that the incident had affected activity levels, income, referral-to-treatment targets and cancer performance, adding that recovery plans were being developed across clinical divisions to address the backlog.
Patient describes cancelled cancer surgery
During the incident, patient Elaine Lawrence, 71, from Wirral, told the BBC her kidney removal surgery for stage three cancer was cancelled the day before it was due to take place. She said she was given no clear explanation at the time and described communication from the hospital as “disgraceful”.
She said the last-minute cancellation left her distressed and had damaged her confidence in the care she was receiving, highlighting the emotional toll of delays for patients facing serious illness.
Sterile services failure resolved
The trust lifted the critical incident in early November after receiving new surgical instruments and opening a newly refurbished sterile services unit. The new facility was completed in November 2025 following a 12-month refurbishment programme, which the trust said would improve resilience and reduce the risk of similar incidents in future.
Elective surgery has since resumed, although the trust has acknowledged that clearing the backlog will take time.
Trust apologises as recovery plans begin
A spokesperson for the trust said staff had worked tirelessly to resolve the issue and restore services as quickly as possible. They apologised to patients affected by the cancellations and thanked them for their patience during the disruption.
The incident comes amid wider NHS pressures, with elective waiting lists remaining high across England following the pandemic, staffing shortages and ongoing constraints on theatre capacity.
