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01/11/2011
City Hospital A&E To Close From Tuesday
The Belfast City Hospital's A&E department is to close its doors on Tuesday, as the plans to move its capacity to the Royal and the Mater come into force.
Patients who would usually make there way to the City are being asked to go the Royal Victoria Hospital instead, while emergency cases will be transferred by ambulance.
According to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, the need to close the City Hospital’s A&E unit on a temporary basis arose from a gap in medical staffing, which could not be filled despite a national and international recruitment drive.
A spokesman said: "The aim is to ensure that in dealing with this problem – through a series of new arrangements – service to patients will not only be changed but improved.
"For example arrangements include a facility for GPs to get direct access to an Acute Assessment Unit at the City Hospital on behalf of patients who don’t need access to an A&E department – but do need further medical assessment."
The spokesman said that another positive was that there will now be a minor injuries service concentrated on two sites rather than three – the Royal and the Mater.
Patients requiring to be admitted from A&E will continue to be admitted to beds on three hospital sites – the Royal, Mater or City.
Arrangements for the redeployment of staff, currently based in the Emergency Department in the Belfast City Hospital, are also being finalised.
The transfer arrangements, including orientation and induction, are already underway.
"We know that the place where people work is important to them and staff have been very flexible and helpful in supporting the temporary arrangements to deliver patient care through our other Emergency Departments. Many thanks to all involved," the spokesman said.
(DW/BMcC)
Patients who would usually make there way to the City are being asked to go the Royal Victoria Hospital instead, while emergency cases will be transferred by ambulance.
According to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, the need to close the City Hospital’s A&E unit on a temporary basis arose from a gap in medical staffing, which could not be filled despite a national and international recruitment drive.
A spokesman said: "The aim is to ensure that in dealing with this problem – through a series of new arrangements – service to patients will not only be changed but improved.
"For example arrangements include a facility for GPs to get direct access to an Acute Assessment Unit at the City Hospital on behalf of patients who don’t need access to an A&E department – but do need further medical assessment."
The spokesman said that another positive was that there will now be a minor injuries service concentrated on two sites rather than three – the Royal and the Mater.
Patients requiring to be admitted from A&E will continue to be admitted to beds on three hospital sites – the Royal, Mater or City.
Arrangements for the redeployment of staff, currently based in the Emergency Department in the Belfast City Hospital, are also being finalised.
The transfer arrangements, including orientation and induction, are already underway.
"We know that the place where people work is important to them and staff have been very flexible and helpful in supporting the temporary arrangements to deliver patient care through our other Emergency Departments. Many thanks to all involved," the spokesman said.
(DW/BMcC)
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