Hospital appointments in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire cancelled for Queen's funeral

Hospitals and GP surgeries across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have postponed appointments and surgeries to observe the Queen's funeral.

The funeral, on Monday, 19 September, will be a bank holiday, meaning some patients will see their scheduled appointments and procedures cancelled or postponed. This includes some surgeries and chemotherapy treatments.

The closures will also mean a delay to issuing death certificates for some people, which could stop Jewish and Muslim families from burying their loved ones within 24 hours of their death.

Will your hospital appointment be cancelled?

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

The majority of services and departments will close and patients will be contacted by telephone or text message if their appointment is affected.

If you do not hear from the hospital, you should attend your appointment as planned.

The Trust said services will remain open for urgent treatment, or in some cases where a delay could have a more significant impact on the patient's health.

Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer, said: "We appreciate that any delay will potentially cause some concern for patients, but we hope that most will recognise that these circumstances could not have been foreseen."

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Some scheduled appointments will be rescheduled and patients will be contacted directly if they are affected.

Patients are also being advised to order and collect prescriptions in advance as some pharmacies may be closed.

While urgent and emergency services will be open, they are likely to be busier than usual and people could face long waits for treatment.

Cathy Winfield MBE, Chief Nursing Officer of NHS South Yorkshire, added: "I know many patients who are in hospital this week will be anxious to get home so that they can spend the day with their family.

"We’ll be doing everything we can to ensure those who are well enough to go home can do so.

"For those who need to remain in hospital, I know our nursing teams across the system will do everything they can to support patients to mark the day."

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Around two thirds of all planned surgical procedures, including the most urgent operations and cancer cases, will go ahead as planned.

Some routine procedures will be postponed, although the Trust says this is "a relatively small number" and patients will be contacted to reschedule.

The outpatient services will be more heavily impacted, with around six in every ten appointments postponed.

Ellen Ryabov, Chief Operating Officer, said that every patient who is meant to be coming to hospital on Monday will be contacted - either to confirm that their appointment is going ahead or to cancel and reschedule.

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust

Most appointments will be cancelled and the Trust said patients will be contacted to rearrange "in a timely manner".

The Trust has said that mental health and learning disability crisis and urgent care services will be available.

The 24 hour help and advice lines will also remain open for both adults and children and young people.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

The majority of appointments will go ahead and the Trust is asking anyone with a planned outpatient appointment, diagnostic test, operation or procedure booked in for Monday to attend as usual.

Most patients will be contacted to confirm appointments, but if you do not hear from them and don't want to attend your appointment on this day then you can use the contact details on your appointment letter to rearrange.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust

All planned surgeries, outpatient, diagnostic and phlebotomy appointments at hospital and in community services will be postponed.

The Trust said they will be contacting affected patients directly and hope to rearrange appointments as quickly as possible.

The A&E departments will remain open as usual.

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