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A planned Public Consultation on general surgery provision in the Southern Trust area including Daisy Hill Hospital will now be delayed until a wider NI review takes place.
Presently all emergency general surgical patients needing assesed are admitted to Craigavon instead of Daisy Hill.
Their planned consultation on the future of emergency and elective general surgery across the area is now to be guided by a major Northern Ireland wide review according to a statement from a Trust spokesperson.
The Trust’s consultation will await the wider review "to ensure it is informed by new regional standards being finalised for emergency general surgery." the statement said.
The spokesperson added "Recruitment of general surgical consultants has been an ongoing challenge across Northern Ireland and work has been progressing locally and regionally to develop more sustainable emergency and elective surgical services.
"As a contingency measure to address these staffing difficulties in the Southern Trust, all emergency general surgical patients needing inpatient assessment are currently being admitted to Craigavon Hospital.
"A local project team has been developing proposals for public consultation on a longer-term best practice model to improve both emergency and elective general surgery across the Southern area"
Regionally, all Trusts with the Royal College of Surgeons and the Department of Health have been working on a Regional Review of Emergency General Surgery. This work includes the development of new regional standards for emergency general surgery.
Following recommendation from the Department of Health, Trust Board has agreed to wait to ensure that any local consultation on general surgery will be informed by the wider Northern Ireland review and new regional standards.
Updating the June meeting of Trust Board, Director of Acute Services Melanie McClements said “Whilst we were on target to launch our consultation at the end of June, we have now agreed with the Department of Health that it would be beneficial to wait until the new regional standards for emergency general surgery have been approved so that we can ensure that any new proposed model is consistent with very best practice.
“The regional standards when agreed, will be an important benchmark to consider when developing our own service model. Once published, we will review and consider them in line with our local plans before moving forward.
“Huge thanks to all of our staff, Trade Union Representatives, other Health and Social Care colleagues and Service User Reference Group for all of their efforts to date in working together to improve general surgery for the entire Southern Trust population.
“We thank the public for their ongoing support as we work through this process to ensure that all patients get the best possible service.”
At present the Trust are still planning to advertise on a Trust wide basis for Consultant General Surgeon's in the coming weeks.
