- Podcast
- 09/12/2024
- UK
An Analysis Of The Effect Of The Covid-19-induced Joint Replacement Deficit In England, Wales, And Northern Ireland Suggests Recovery Will Be Protracted
Description
In this August edition of The Bone & Joint Journal's podcast, host Andrew Duckworth welcomes Mr. Jonathan French, a clinical research fellow at the University of Bristol, to discuss his research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on joint replacement procedures in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The conversation covers the substantial backlog and delays in joint replacements, wherein around 160,000 procedures have been missed, equating to nearly three-quarters of a year's normal operations.
Donning a data-driven approach, the podcast starts with an overview of the state of arthroplasty services before the pandemic, with reports of an increasing backlog already noted in 2019. Jonathan highlights key findings such as hip and elbow replacements being relatively spared compared to knee replacements, which suffered more significantly during the pandemic. The discussion also touches on geographic discrepancies in service availability, revealing that Wales and Northern Ireland faced greater shortages than England.
Furthermore, the program examines the contrasting recovery rates in the public versus private healthcare sectors, where the independent sector showed faster recovery, executing 127% of pre-pandemic operations by 2022. The episode culminates in a sobering overview of the necessary expansions in services — both in numbers and infrastructure — to adequately address ongoing deficits, with discussions on equity and accessibility within healthcare highlighted as vital issues.
Listeners are prompted to reflect on the implications of these findings for patients facing long wait times for surgeries and the pressures on the healthcare system amid the recovery process. The podcast encourages engagement and feedback from the audience to foster ongoing dialogue on these important topics.