MAJOR disruption is expected today across the north's health service with thousands of hospital appointments and operations cancelled as well as community day services affected due to strike action.
Patients are being advised however to attend for appointments unless they have been contacted in the past week by their health trust.
Despite A&E departments being hit by striking workers, they will be open to all those who are seriously ill and injured.
Minor Injuries Units will be closed at South Tyrone Hospital in Dungannon, the Mid Ulster in Magherfelt as well as those in Bangor and Newtownards.
The Health and Social Care Board has advised the public to "use services responsibly" and seek a range of alternative services if they do not need emergency care including GPs, out-of-hours GPs and community pharmacies.
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Board chiefs have given a breakdown of how each trust will be affected:
BELFAST TRUST
Hospitals include the Royal Victoria, Belfast City and Mater.
The biggest of the north's health trust housing many regional medical specialties, "significant disruption" is expected. However, Belfast trust was unable to provide a figure on the number of cancellations.
Areas affected include community services and all hospital services like surgery, day case procedures, and outpatient appointments. It is anticipated that almost all services will be impacted.
Nurses have already taken to the picket line outside Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, as they commence 12 hours of strike action over pay and staffing levels. pic.twitter.com/q3cwVnx9Vo
— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) December 18, 2019
It also anticipated that there will be greater pressures on urgent and emergency care services, including A&E units in the Royal Victoria and Mater hospitals with delays expected.
There is likely to be significant disruption to a wide range of social care and community services, including social work cover, day centres, older person's services, and children's services.
WESTERN TRUST
Hospitals include Altnagelvin in Derry and South West Acute in Enniskillen.
- 582 outpatients appointments cancelled
- 34 planned inpatient and day case procedures have been cancelled
- all routine mental health outpatient appointments have been cancelled but urgent and crisis response calls will be responded to
- 40 appointments postponed at 'Fast Lane Breast Clinic'
- Antenatal appointments have been rescheduled
- All non-emergency children's services stood down. Emergency services, including child protection and crisis response will be available
- Other service stood down, included School Nursing Service, Sexual Health and Gum Services, Health Visiting services (with the exception of six identified clinics) Children's Disability Teams, Children’s Respite Services at Avalon House, RISE Team, Behavioural Support Team; Autism/ASD Services and CAMHS services.
- The Emergency Child and Adolescent Mental Health crisis intervention team will continue to operate as normal
- Seven Family Centres will close
- 19 Adult Mental Health, Learning and Physical Disability Centres will close.
- Strabane Day Centre will be closed
- 23 Treatment rooms will be closed
- The OPALS Rapid Access Clinic will be cancelled. The memory clinic will also be cancelled.
- All statutory residential homes run by the Western Trust will be operating as normal.
NORTHERN HEALTH TRUST
Hospitals include Antrim Area and Causeway in Coleraine.
Cancellations:
- 325 outpatient appointments
- 52 Inpatient procedures and day cases
- 43 endoscopy
- Delays in A&E departments
- The Mid Ulster Minor Injury Unit will be closed.
- Emergency Nurse Practitioner streams in Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Emergency Departments will not be operational.
- "Significant disruption" to social care and community services, including treatment rooms, social work cover, day centres, older person's services, community mental health services and children's services.
- 867 district nursing visits will be rescheduled.
- A large number of people who have care packages delivered by the Trust's Homecare Service will not get their lunchtime call.
- Reduced MS respite capacity at Dalriada Hospital
SOUTHERN TRUST
Hospitals include Daisy Hill in Newry and Craigavon Area Hosptial
Cancellations:
-1029 outpatient appointments
- 75 Inpatient procedures and day cases have been cancelled. Emergency surgery will go ahead.
-172 appointments in community based clinics have been cancelled.
- Nine treatment rooms closed
- Community Mental Health services at Trasna House in Lurgan will be closed. Anyone who requires urgent care should contact their GP who will have access to Emergency and Urgent
Mental Health services.
- 21 day centres/resource centres will be closed.
- Community based clinics will also be affected with 172 appointments cancelled.
- District nursing service will be limited in all areas to essential calls only
- Domiciliary Care will only be provided to the most dependent service users.
SOUTH EASTERN TRUST
Hospitals include the Ulster hospital in Dundonald and Lagan Valley in Lisburn.
Cancellations:
-467 outpatient appointments
-151 surgeries cancelled
-164 day procedures
- Ulster A&E will prioritise seriously ill patients and urgent cases
- District nursing teams will be facilitating emergency calls only
- Domiciliary Care - a small number of home calls have been cancelled
- All treatment rooms in GP surgeries will be closed.
- Mental Health Services – teams will prioritise high risk and acutely ill patients.
- All day centres remain open. Families have been informed regarding disruption to transport and catering.
- Minor Injury Units at Ulster, Ards & Bangor Hospitals closed all day, and will re-open on 19 December.
- Ulster Emergency Dept will prioritise seriously ill patients and urgent cases
- Out Patient Departments will be closed at Ulster, Lagan Valley, Downe, Ards & Bangor Hospitals (except Maternity)
- Surgery – majority cancelled.
- Day procedures – Ulster, Lagan Valley & Downe cancelled
- District Nursing – emergency calls only
- Domiciliary Care- a small number of home calls have been cancelled, clients and families have been informed. We would ask communities to be aware of their elderly neighbours
- Treatment Rooms in GP surgeries staffed by SE Trust staff closed
- Mental Health services - the team will prioritise high risk and acutely ill patients
- All Day Centres open, families have been informed regarding disruption to transport and catering
NORTHERN IRELAND AMBULANCE SERVICE (NIAS)
- Significant disruption expected
- Priority given to provide the quickest and most appropriate response to meet the clinical needs of patients including cancer, renal and palliative patient.
- Calls to the 999 service which are less serious in nature, potentially, face a delay in response times and NIAS would ask "for patience from callers"
- NIAS would encourage callers to consider other options open to them in relation to their care
- NIAS resources will be prioritised towards Category 1 and Category 2 calls as they are the most clinically urgent.
- Services of some independent ambulance services have been given - these services will be directed at Category 3 and Category 4 calls to ensure that the less urgent needs of these patients are responded to in as timely a manner as possible
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