HOSPITAL bosses in Southampton were forced to cancel 231 operations at the last minute for non-clinical reasons in just three months, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Out of 188 NHS trusts nationwide, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for running Southampton General and Princess Anne hospitals, is the 11th worst performing trust for cancelled operations.

The latest Department of Health figures for October to December also revealed that five patients were still not treated within 28 days of their operations being cancelled.

It comes after the Daily Echo revealed yesterday how the number of hospital managers in Southampton had risen by 85 per cent since 2004.

Romsey MP Sandra Gidley, who obtained the figures, estimated that it had cost taxpayers more than £2.4m Meanwhile, Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust, responsible for running Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital, cancelled 64 operations at the last minute, with three of those patients still waiting for treatment 28 days later.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham and St Mary’s Hospital in Fratton, cancelled 80 operations at the last minute for non-clinical reasons, but all patients received their treatment within 28 days of their operations being cancelled.

Andrew Asquith, head of performance at SUHT, said: “The number of cancelled operations reflects the size of our hospital and the high number of operations performed.

“As one of the largest acute trusts in the UK, we undertook over 14,000 nonemergency operations during the quarter ending December 2009.

“We saw increased cancellations in October, when the hospital was seeing swine flu patients, and just before Christmas, when icy weather meant some of our planned surgery had to be cancelled for emergency operations on the many patients with broken bones.

“We understand that cancelled operations cause significant problems for our patients and are working hard to reduce the number wherever we can.”

Non-clinical reasons for cancelling operations at the last minute include operating theatres having to be used for emergencies, longer surgery times than expected and a high demand for beds meaning surgical beds have to be used for emergency patients.

Mark Hackett, the chief executive of Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, defended the huge in increase in management numbers saying it had improved performance.

He said there were now shorter waiting times, infection rates were among the best nationwide, patient satisfaction levels had improved and the hospital had made an annual profit since 2006 which it has invested into new facilities, technology and staff.