Report highlights scope to expand day surgery
pharmafile | September 23, 2026 | News story | | Hidden Capacity Report, Mölnlycke Health Care, expanding day surgeries
A new international report from Mölnlycke Health Care has identified opportunities to expand day surgery as healthcare systems face increasing demand for surgery, workforce constraints and financial pressures.
The Hidden Capacity Report examines barriers to and enablers of wider day-surgery adoption, drawing on a review of international literature, a survey of 256 healthcare professionals across ten countries, expert interviews and guidance from an international expert panel.
It concludes that significant capacity remains available to expand day surgery, with adoption varying between countries, healthcare organisations, specialties and clinical teams.
According to the report, implementation and pathway design can be barriers to greater adoption even where procedures are clinically suitable for day surgery. It also recommends that healthcare systems consider day surgery as the default pathway for procedures where clinically appropriate.
Greater use of day surgery could help reduce waiting times, increase surgical throughput and make better use of hospital resources, the report says. However, it highlights the need to consider potential health inequalities when expanding services.
David Bunting, Consultant in Upper Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Surgery at North Devon District Hospital, said day surgery could help hospitals manage pressure on inpatient capacity.
“Day surgery is now well recognised as a solution to support elective recovery,” he said. “It frees up in-patient beds for those with more acute medical needs or more complex surgical needs and improves hospital flow.”
Fredrik Wallefors, Executive Vice President, Operating Room Solutions at Mölnlycke Health Care, said the report brought together evidence and expert perspectives on expanding day-surgery pathways.
The report is intended to inform discussion among healthcare leaders, clinicians and policymakers about measures to increase day-surgery capacity while maintaining safety and patient-centred care.
