Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust apologises to teen over scoliosis surgery delay

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has issued an apology to a teenager and her family after her spinal surgery was cancelled with less than twenty-four hours' notice. The case has shed light on the intense pressures facing elective care services across the region, where patients are experiencing prolonged waits for specialized procedures.

Jessica, a fourteen-year-old from Hackness near Scarborough, was originally added to the National Health Service waiting list for spinal fusion surgery in August 2025 after consulting a private specialist. Her condition, scoliosis, has caused her spine to curve into an S-shape, leading to severe physical discomfort and difficulties attending school. Describing the sensation to the BBC, Jessica said, It's like you're getting stabbed in the side of your chest, adding that it feels like severe back pain multiplied manifold.

Media additions

The operation was scheduled for 25 September, prompting Jessica's family to travel to Leeds and pay for hotel accommodation to ensure they arrived on time. However, the afternoon before the procedure, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust telephoned to cancel. Her mother, Rebecca, expressed shock at the last-minute cancellation, noting that staff cited staffing problems as the primary reason without offering a detailed explanation.

Following contact from the BBC, the trust wrote to the family six weeks later with a new operation date at the end of January. Rebecca noted that subsequent X-rays revealed significant progression in the spinal curve, which has now impacted her daughter's ribs, walk, and stance.

Tim Hiles, chief operating officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, addressed the situation directly.

"Leeds receives referrals from all over Yorkshire and Humber for this specialist surgery and our consultant surgeons prioritise the most urgent cases. We only take the difficult decision to cancel surgery when absolutely necessary and we are very aware of the huge impact this has on our patients. We recognise this does not reduce the upset caused by the delay, and we are working urgently to ensure Jessica's surgery takes place as soon as possible."

Tim Hiles, Chief Operating Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, via BBC

Hiles stated that he was truly sorry for the short-notice cancellation and the distress caused to the family.

The wider context of regional backlogs reveals systemic strain across the healthcare system. According to BBC analysis of NHS data, the total number of cases awaiting admission for surgery or procedures across 10 hospital trusts in North, South, and West Yorkshire has increased by approximately a third since 2021. In August 2026, more than 63,000 cases were pending across 11 surgical specialties, compared with nearly 48,000 in August 2021. More than half of these cases had waited longer than the 18 weeks patients should expect from their initial referral, though the proportion waiting past that threshold dropped from 60% in August 2023 to 55% in August 2026. Furthermore, the number waiting more than a year fell by almost two-thirds since 2021, even as more than 2,800 cases remained on the list past 52 weeks in August 2026. These figures exclude children's specialist services and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which has not submitted data since June 2025.

Bea Taylor from health think tank The Nuffield Trust noted the scale of the ongoing challenge.

"What we're noticing from the new government is that they have their sights set on winter pressures, maternity care, and the abolishment of NHS England. I think when we're facing strikes and the up-coming winter season, it's going to be really hard for the government to keep their focus on the waiting list in the way that they did at the beginning of this year."

Bea Taylor, The Nuffield Trust, via BBC

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care highlighted recent governmental efforts to tackle the backlogs, stating that waiting lists are down by over 251,000 since July 2024 and fewer patients are waiting longer than 18 weeks than in the previous year. The spokesperson pointed to the opening of evening and weekend clinics, community diagnostic centres, expanded surgical hubs, millions of extra GP appointments, and the delivery of dedicated elective surgical hubs with 26 brand-new spaces opening since 2024 and more scheduled for the following year.

Timeline of Events

• August 2025: Jessica is added to the NHS waiting list for spinal fusion surgery following a private consultation.
• 25 September: The operation is scheduled, but Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust cancels it the afternoon before due to staffing problems after the family has travelled and paid for a hotel.
• Six weeks post-cancellation: Following media enquiries from the BBC, the trust writes to the family to offer a new operation date at the end of January.