The NHS has secured an alternative supplier for medical cement which will ensure joint surgery continues as planned.
Last week, the firm which provides most of the medical cement to the NHS was hit by a major production problem, which disrupted plans for some knee, hip and shoulder operations nationally.
However, the NHS has now found a new supplier to cover the shortfall, while an existing supplier has also agreed to increase deliveries.
The alternative bone cement supplies will ensure trauma and elective care can continue across the country.
At West Herts, we worked very hard to minimise any disruption to planned surgery and only postponed a very small number of operations.
We expect to receive the new supplies shortly and will be back to normal service within the next few days.
At this stage, we do not anticipate any further postponements to operations. There is no need for patients to contact us, and we will be in touch with the small number of patients who had their operations delayed last week to reschedule their surgery.
We’d like to thank our patients for their understanding last week and appreciate it was a worrying time for people waiting for their surgery.