Emergency General Surgery (EGS) may soon be eliminated from Causeway Hospital, following the recommendation by the Northern Health Trust to offer this service exclusively at a single facility within their network.
The trust's board prefers that EGS be situated at Antrim Area Hospital.
At present, it is distributed across the Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital.
The recommendation follows a review and a public consultation.
'Extremely challenging'
The senior leadership mentioned that having duplicate services at the two locations has created strain on the hospitals, stating that the present setup is "unsustainable."
They mentioned that they had two options: either implement a controlled, planned change to the services or let them completely fall apart.
They have made the choice to handle that transition.
The review included a 14-week long public consultation. According to the Trust, the public who responded were overwhelmingly against the change in services.
Nevertheless, the Trust maintains that they think this step is essential.
The Trust Chief Executive, Jennifer Welsh, characterized the review process as "highly demanding."
Should the proposal receive approval from the Department of Health, efforts to centralize EGS services at Antrim Area Hospital will proceed as planned.
What does Emergency General Surgery entail?
EGS cares for patients needing immediate general surgical evaluation, diagnosis, or intervention when they present unexpectedly at the emergency department.
This would encompass emergency protocols such as those for appendicitis or an obstructed intestine.
The Causeway location will serve as the venue for elective general surgeries. These procedures are considered less complicated and can be scheduled in advance, such as the extraction of a gallbladder.
Similar to current practices, trauma patients, including those injured in road traffic accidents, will continue to be transported to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for medical care.
- Demonstration takes place against proposals to reduce emergency surgeries at Causeway Hospital
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