Tonsil surgery week held for kids at east London hospitals

A week dubbed TonKidz by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), which runs the hospitals, saw up to 20 operations a day being arranged — ten times the usual number.

The aim was to cut out some of the 400-long waiting list.

“We kept the day ward open later so we could have recovery beds after the operations,” ear, nose and throat clinical lead Gaurav Kumar explained.

“Two teams were working, one operating while the other getting the next child ready. Other children were lined up in case of any cancellations — so no theatre time was lost.”

The ear, nose and throat surgery makes up most of the hospitals’ paediatric waiting list, a BHRUT spokesperson said.

Some of the children who have recurring tonsilitis had waited up to a year.

The TonKidz week has reduced the waiting list for children needing their tonsils removed by a quarter, the trust said.

BHRUT said it plans more high volume weeks after the summer holidays for the remaining 300 children.