LISTEN: Cancer surgeries cancelled amid Covid-19 hospital surge in Belfast

Q Radio News/PA

The Medical Director of the Belfast Health Trust says the cancellation of some cancer surgeries is a direct effect of people not getting vaccinated.

Yesterday the Trust announced it was cancelling some operations due to increasing Covid-19 pressures.

These affect about 24 patients who will have their appointments rescheduled.

Dr. Chris Hagan told Q Radio the increased pressures are a result of rising infections in unvaccinated people. 

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust apologised for the distress the move would cause for the affected patients and their families.

Last week it announced that around 100 non-urgent planned procedures were being rescheduled as part of efforts to re-orientate services to deal with the latest surge in coronavirus admissions.

In a statement on Wednesday evening, the trust confirmed that a number of cancer surgeries had now been cancelled.

“Regrettably, the Belfast Trust has made the difficult decision to cancel some cancer-related procedures which we are currently working to reschedule as soon as possible,” it said.

“Covid-19 admissions continuing to rise has put increasing pressures on hospitals, which led to the trust taking the extremely difficult decision to cancel surgeries in order to expand our support teams caring for Covid-19 patients.

“We do not underestimate the anxiety and distress this causes patients and families affected and we sincerely apologise for this.”

The health service here is under increased pressure due to Covid-19

Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, the South Eastern Trust said one-time critical surgery had been cancelled on Wednesday in response to the pressures facing the health service and the situation with other planned surgeries was being reviewed on a day-to-day basis.

Earlier this week the Belfast Trust announced that six extra ICU beds were being made available to cope with the increasing numbers of Covid-19 patients.

The beds are being put in place at Belfast City Hospital due to capacity issues at the Royal Victoria and Mater hospitals.

On Sunday evening both the Belfast Trust and the South Eastern Trust issued emergency appeals to off-duty staff to come in to work to help colleagues deal with the escalating situation.

Chief executive of the charity Action Cancer, Gareth Kirk, says it's a disturbing development.

He said:

"We would plead that the trusts address the issue urgently and put in place appropriate measures to allow timely and appropriate cancer treatments to proceed."