OPERATING theatres across Northern Ireland are to be allocated to patients most in need, Robin Swann has said.
The health minister said he has approved a new regional approach to ensure "any available theatre capacity is allocated for those patients most in need of surgery both during surge and as we come out of this surge".
"This will include seeking to fully maximise all available in-house Health and Social Care and independent sector capacity.
"Whilst this may mean that patients will need to travel further for their surgery I would rather see the highest priority treatments delivered elsewhere in Northern Ireland than not at all."
He as this new mechanism settles in "it is also my firm expectation that inter-Trust transfers for the highest clinical priority cases will be facilitated".
"I want to assure the public that hospitals are doing their absolute best to care for patients, and that includes treating the sickest quickest. This is not the case of prioritising one medical condition over another."
The peak of the third Covid wave is expected in the third week of January but hospitals are already almost full and many operations have been delayed.
The Royal College of Surgeons' director in Northern Ireland, Mark Taylor, said the announcement will give hope to patients.
"By working together we can make sure those most urgently in need, for example those awaiting cancer or heart surgery, get treatment regardless of where they live."
It came as the Belfast trust yesterday asked staff to voluntarily postpone any planned leave.
Chief executive Cathy Jack said never before had such a "draconian request" been made of its thousands of staff but "we are entering the most critical phase of the pandemic when the numbers will be at levels never before delivered and I need your help".
In a video message sent to staff, Dr Jack said since Christmas the number of Covid patients needing hospital beds had increased by 80 per cent.
She said staff had so far been "outstanding" and "so courageous" but it was now time to collectively put "our shoulder to the wheel".
Meanwhile, a decision by the trust to cancel some urgent cancer surgeries has been described as "deeply worrying".
The trust said it "sincerely" apologised to those affected and it had been an "incredibly difficult decision to make".
"We do not underestimate the anxiety and distress this causes the patients and families affected and we deeply regret this.
"We would like to reassure those patients that we will do everything in our power to reschedule their operation as soon as possible".
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew, chair of the assembly health committee, described the move as "deeply worrying".
He said the current wave of Covid cases was "not unexpected" and called on health minister Robin Swann to "act fast to put in place plans to re-instate these services urgently for people awaiting this vital and potentially life saving care".
