HUNDREDS of hospital patients had their operations cancelled at the last minute over a six-month period.

The reasons included staff sickness, having to deal with more urgent cases coming in and bed shortages.

Union bosses said the numbers showed the continuing pressure hospital services are facing across the county.

However other factors include patients who cancel operations themselves or who do not turn up for surgery.

Figures published by NHS England show Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust called off 289 planned operations between October and March.

Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust cancelled 184 while at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust it was 153.

Hospitals across the county have been under exceptional pressure over the past six months with bed blocking patients one of the major issues.

These are people who are ready to be discharged but cannot leave hospital because there is no nursing or community bed available for them or support has not been arranged for them in their own homes.

The lack of available beds puts extra pressure on other departments and can lead to operations being cancelled.

Hospitals have also had sporadic outbreaks of sickness and diarrhoea bugs among patients, which has led to some ward areas being closed.

GMB union regional organiser Gary Palmer said: “Our members are telling us that not surprisingly, any increases in cancelled operations are simply because our NHS just can’t cope.

“They describe it as a combination of a lack of availability of critical care beds, enough staff to do their jobs properly and equipment failures and shortages.

“It’s extremely stressful for the patients to have an operation cancelled on the day or short notice but our members are feeling that stress alongside them, as they look to sympathetically deal with the fallout from the patient and their families as they express their disappointment and concerns.

“Long-term planning and investing is the only way to reduce cancellations.”

Brighton and hove chairman David Liley said: “Behind the statistics on cancelled operations are personal stories of people having their lives disrupted, living longer with medical conditions, child care and family caring arrangements changed at short notice.

“The NHS wants to reduce cancelled operations and patients expect that to be a priority. Some cancelled operations are likely to be the result of pressure on services. However we should not forget the evidence is many operations are cancelled by people themselves not turning up or pulling out at short notice.”