RVH pressure after cuts to A&E units

RVH pressure after cuts to A&E units

25 June 2014

A SENIOR clinician has claimed the weekend closure of the Downe Hospital’s A&E unit is leading to “huge pressures” at Belfast’s Royal Victoria.

In an article in the Ulster Medical Journal, Dr. Brendan Sinnott said the closure of the local A&E department and its sister unit at the Lagan Valley in Lisburn is impacting on Northern Ireland’s specialist centre for all medical emergencies.

Dr. Sinnott — who is a consultant in emergency medicine at the Royal — also published the Belfast hospital’s casualty rota for April, revealing how few senior doctors are on duty at the Royal.

The document shows no consultant is physically present between midnight and 8am — they are only on call — with cover provided instead by two trainee medics and one middle grade doctor.

Significantly, Dr. Sinnott refers to the impact of the weekend closure of the emergency departments at the Downe and Lagan Valley on the Royal. He said the closures have lead to an an overspill of patients at the Royal leading to “huge pressures.”

Dr. Sinnott’s article continued: “These closures were announced with little warning or planning, putting extra pressure on the Royal. This led to greater demand on staff and some consultant colleagues expressed concern regarding burn out of trainees and consultant colleagues.

“One consultant had taken early retirement, two were on sabbatical leave and one went on long-term sick. In addition, maternity and paternity leave had to be facilitated.”

Dr. Sinnott claimed warnings by medics of “impending gridlock” fell on deaf ears leaving A&E staff at the Royal wide open to criticism and forced to “carry the risk,” resulting in a major incident being declared in January.

A spokeswoman for the South Eastern Trust, which is responsible for the Downe and Lagan Valley hospitals, said planning work prior to the change in opening hours at Downe and Lagan Valley emergency departments involved all Trusts.

“It was clear to all concerned that the impact would be minimal and measures were put in place to deal with this,” she continued.

“Figures have shown the majority of those attending the emergency departments at night now either do so within the new opening hours or attend the GP out-of-hours service or minor injuries unit.”

The spokeswoman added: “Colleagues from other Trusts tell us that the numbers going to other hospitals fall within the original planning assumptions and have had minimal impact.”

Members of the Down Community Health Committee met in Downpatrick last night to discuss the next move in their campaign for the retention of 24-hour A&E services at the Downe Hospital.

Ahead of the meeting, the organisation which has already held a series of public meetings in Downpatrick, Ballynahinch and Newcastle to discuss the downgrading of local A&E services, circulated members with a copy of news article based on Dr. Sinnott’s recent comments in the Ulster Medical Journal.