HOSPITAL bosses have pledged to prioritise surgery for cancer patients while they are forced to postpone other non-urgent operations.

Leaders within the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust have been forced to delay some elective surgeries this winter because of an ongoing shortage of beds.

But they are working to ensure operations for patients with suspected or diagnosed cancer, those in need of urgent surgery or anyone who has waited more than 32 weeks for their procedure go ahead.

Foluke Ajayi, chief operating officer at UHMBT, which runs Furness General Hospital, in Barrow, said: "As with NHS trusts up and down the country, we are experiencing significant pressures within our services.

"Unfortunately, this means that sometimes we are not able to carry out all the elective surgery that we have planned as the beds are being used to care for poorly patients who need immediate medical care.

"Where possible, we are continuing to carry out elective operations as planned but if pressures in our hospitals mean that we may need to reschedule some, patients will be prioritised according to the urgency of their condition.

"We appreciate that it is inconvenient for patients who may need to have their planned surgery rescheduled, and we are continuing to work hard with our partners across health and social care to do all we can to address the pressures we are facing."

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