‘Scaling down’ to delay surgeries

SEVERAL surgical procedures are likely to be postponed following confirmation last night that a busy hospital clinic will scale back its work over Christmas.

The Health Service Executive South confirmed yesterday that talks with staff are under way about the “scaling down” of activity at Cork University Hospital’s day procedure unit (DPU).

The unit provides for adult medical and surgical day cases — planned, non-urgent procedures that do not require a patient to stay overnight in the hospital.

Doctors working in the unit carry out general surgery procedures like hernia repairs, minor orthopaedic surgery, gynaecological procedures, varicose veins, angiograms, and some types of dental work.

The unit operates five days a week from 8am to 7.30pm.

However, concerns were raised yesterday that plans to reduce activity levels, or possibly close the unit for a time over Christmas, would result in the postponement of several surgical procedures.

But CUH general manager Tony McNamara said it is routine in an acute hospital to reduce activity levels over Christmas.

“Generally speaking, patients do not want to be in hospital at this time,” he said. The DPU will, therefore, scale down activity for a period of time, however, this is part of the overall contingency plan for CUH and we are currently in discussions with staff around these arrangements.

“The decision to scale down activity levels in CUH over Christmas does not in any way affect any emergency cases at the hospital.”