The Impact of COVID-19 on Emergency Laparotomy – An Interim Report

Reports | Published: 11 Mar 2021

This interim report describes the impact that the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had on the key standards of care provided for patients undergoing emergency bowel surgery in England and Wales.

The report finds that there was an overall reduction in the number of patients who had emergency bowel surgery after the national lockdown commenced in March 2020. Standards of care during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have been maintained with consultant delivered care and assessment of risk continuing at similar rates as in the previous year. However, rates of admission to critical care decreased. Further analysis will be needed to understand if there were any regional variations, or variations over time.

173 hospitals in England and Wales continued to collect data and submit them to the audit during the period analysed and presented in this report.

You can read the report and infographic by clicking on the links below.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Emergency Laparotomy – An Interim Report