The Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, which covers Llangollen, has explained why it is been forced to postpone the majority of planned surgery at Wrexham Maelor Hospital due to the affects of the pandemic.
In a statement it says: “The
increasing transmission of COVID-19 in the Wrexham and Flintshire areas and the
resulting number of patients being treated for COVID-19 at the hospital –
currently 128 - together with winter pressures has had a significant impact on
our ability to provide routine services at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
“Regrettably, the majority of
planned surgery at the hospital will be postponed for an initial period of two
weeks with immediate effect from Monday, 11 January.
“This action will support the
expansion of respiratory and critical care capacity to treat seriously ill
COVID-19 patients. It will remain under constant review to enable us to react
promptly to the evolving situation.
“All emergency surgery, upper
gastro-intestinal surgery, endoscopy procedures and Caesarian sections will
continue at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
“All patients affected will be
contacted directly by the Health Board about the postponement of their
procedure. If clinically appropriate, they may be offered their procedure at
Ysbyty Gwynedd.
“Patients who are offered the
opportunity to have their procedures at Ysbyty Gwynedd will be prioritised
based on clinical need, regardless of where in north Wales they live.
“Urgent outpatient appointments
only will continue at Wrexham Maelor Hospital for the present time.
Face-to-face routine appointments will be postponed and will take place either
via a virtual or telephone consultation.
“Planned surgery at Ysbyty Glan
Clwyd in Bodelwyddan and Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor will continue, although with
the rising COVID-19 incidence, this is also under constant review by the Health
Board.
“Due to the pressures of
COVID-19, planned Orthopaedic surgery will be paused across North Wales from
Monday, 18 January. Trauma surgery will continue as normal across all three
hospital sites.
“Other Health Boards have already
taken similar action, which is in line with nationally accepted methods to risk
assess patients.
“Professor Arpan Guha, Acting
Executive Medical Director at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: ‘There
are many patients expecting to undergo an operation in Wrexham over the coming
weeks and we recognise how anxious and worried they will already be about
having surgery during the current surge of the pandemic.
‘We are sorry for any further
distress or inconvenience this decision may cause and would like to reassure
those affected that we are doing all we can to prioritise patients in the most
urgent need of care.
‘Our priority is to provide the
safest possible environment for surgical patients. This clinically led decision
has been made after reviewing predicted demand on our services from both
COVID-19 and winter pressures.
‘Our staff are doing all
they can to provide the best care for all patients while dealing with the
challenges caused by the absences of colleagues due to COVID-19 infection, isolating
and shielding.’”
The statement adds that the
specialties affected by these changes are:
·
Urology
·
Breast
·
Ophthalmology
·
General
surgery
·
Gynaecology
·
Ear Nose
and Throat (ENT)
Advice to patients due to undergo
surgery at Wrexham Maelor Hospital during the next two weeks is:
·
You will
be contacted by hospital staff by phone about your appointment. Please do not
contact the hospital switchboard.
·
If you do
not hear from the hospital, please attend your appointment as arranged.
·
If you
have any questions or need further information about an appointment or
operation, please use the contact information provided on any correspondence
received, for example a patient letter.
· If you are seriously unwell and cannot wait to be seen, our advice remains to please seek help by dialling 999 or attending the Emergency Department.
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