The Gilbert Bain Hospital has been operating at full capacity for a number of weeks.
Additional inpatient beds have been opened to ensure that we can continue to provide admission for patients in an emergency, but we have reached a stage where we now need to consider what services we can and should continue at this time, so that the care we provide remains safe and we have staff in place to provide these services.
We have taken the difficult decision today to cancel some surgical procedures, and we will be reviewing theatre lists for the rest of the week. Any patients affected will be contacted directly, and we will re-book cancelled appointments as soon as we can.
Emergency and urgent cancer treatment will still go ahead as planned. We are committed to keeping you informed and will contact each individual affected directly.
Outpatient Services and other departments in the hospital are currently operating as usual, but they may need to adapt opening hours as teams are providing mutual support to departments that have high demand.
Prof Kathleen Carolan, Director of Nursing and Acute Service, said: “We understand that this will cause inconvenience and distress, and we are truly sorry for any disruption. Our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of all our patients and staff. As always, those with the greatest clinical need will be prioritised, and we aim to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time."
We kindly request that anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms refrain from visiting the hospital until they are feeling better to help protect our patients and staff. Likewise, anyone who has experienced vomiting or diarrhoea should wait until at least 48 hours after their symptoms have passed before visiting.
We are reviewing the situation on an ongoing basis, and we will provide regular updates to ensure that patients and families know what is happening while we work through the pressures we have across the whole system. Our staff have been incredibly supportive and continue to work flexibly to ensure that we have safe staffing levels in all settings. If you have any questions about your appointment, please contact us via the number on your appointment letter.