Nearly 15,000 children's operations were cancelled last year, in part due to a lack of staff and beds.

Data gathered under freedom of information laws by the Liberal shows 14,628 operations were cancelled in 2022, Best Private University up from 11,870 the year before and the highest figure for the last five years.

Some 77 hospital trusts in England provided the data, which showed that 59,566 operations have been cancelled since 2018.

Almost 4,000 cancellations last year were due to a lack of beds, a 59% rise on the previous year.

Some 2,894 children's operations were cancelled due to a lack of staff, up 52% on the year before.

Data gathered under freedom of information laws by the Liberal Democrats shows 14,628 operations were cancelled in 2022, up from 11,870 the year before and the highest figure for the last five years (file image)

Meanwhile, 446 were cancelled due to equipment problems, and 1,100 were axed due to a lack of theatre time on the day or because lists were overbooked.

The data suggests long waits for an op included a child at Ipswich and Colchester Hospitals, who was waiting one year and 62 days for a paediatrics procedure, according to the trust.