Equipment failure saw hospital cancel 1,300 surgeries

30 December 2025

Jonny HumphriesNorth West

News image — A problem with machinery used to sterilise surgical instruments has led to hundreds of appointments being cancelled

BBC An external view of Arrowe Park Hospital, showing a blue and white sign on a grassy area. The glare of lights along a road coming out of the hospital can also be seen. — A problem with machinery used to sterilise surgical instruments has led to hundreds of appointments being cancelled

A critical incident caused by a shortage of surgical instruments saw a hospital trust cancel about 1,300 surgeries over the course of a couple of weeks.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH), which runs Arrowe Park and the Clatterbridge hospitals, said it was still calculating the financial cost, but the BBC understands it is expected to run into the millions.

The problem was caused by a mechanical failure in the trust's Sterile Services Department, responsible for sterilising equipment, which "left residue" on surgical instruments.

While the critical incident was lifted in early November, the backlog is expected to significantly impact the trust's waiting lists.

During the incident, Arrowe Park confirmed it had diverted patients to other hospitals where possible, and still performed emergency surgeries.

After the critical incident was declared on 21 October, the BBC spoke to Elaine Lawrence, 71, whose surgery to remove her kidney due to stage three cancer was cancelled the day before it was due to take place with "no explanation given".

Handout Elaine Lawrence, 71, who has shoulder-length blonde hair, is wearing tinted glasses and a blue and white blouse, smiles into the camera — Elaine Lawrence tried to remain positive before her operation but said her "confidence had been completely knocked"

Ms Lawrence, from Wirral, said at the time communication from the hospital had been "disgraceful" and added: "I just feel completely knocked now, I've lost all that confidence that I had."

A report to the trust board in early December stated that the number of patients waiting more than 65 weeks from referral to treatment had increased to 26 from four, with 21 of those as a result of the sterile services problem.

A further report stated: "The sterile services incident saw the cancellation of over 1,300 elective theatre cases.

"This has impacted on activity, income, Referral to Treatment (RTT) performance and cancer performance.

"Divisional teams are currently developing activity recovery plans."

A spokesperson for the trust said it was grateful to staff who had "worked hard to resolve this issue".

"Elective operating has now resumed following the receipt of new instruments and the opening of the new sterile services unit in November 2025, which was the result of a 12-month programme of refurbishment.

"This has enabled the faster recovery of elective services following the incident.

"We apologise to patients who were impacted and thank them for their patience while we worked hard to resolve the issue."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.