Elective surgeries to resume at The Balfour

Elective surgeries that were stopped because of the pandemic will restart at The Balfour on August 17, NHS Orkney has confirmed. 

Urgent and necessary procedures have already restarted at the hospital, and moves are now being made to resume surgeries which do not fit into this category.  Examples include cholecystectomies, some gynaecological and orthopaedic procedures.

Pamela Walker, NHSO ambulatory care manager has explained that services are gradually being remobilised, with the situation returning to normal, but there are limitations on the number of patients who could be operated on every day due to the additional COVID-19 restrictions.

“We can now do four general anaesthetics every day (from six under normal circumstances),” she said.

“However, patients needing local anaesthetics are being fitted in around the general anaesthetics and this is reducing the number of those still waiting for a procedure increasing the number of procedures being safely undertaken.”

The theatre/Day Unit teams are also limited to doing surgeries linked to one discipline a day as space in the Day Unit is reduced from ten to six trolleys. This is because some of the space normally used for theatre/Day Unit has been given over to the COVID ventilation unit which, is to remain in place for the foreseeable future.

“But we are working through the lists and we are confident that all those waiting will be attended to,” Ms Walker added.

“While some people might feel we have forgotten about them, this is not the case. The impact of COVID means there have been long delays.”

Senior charge nurse, Diane Gray, said those coming for a general anaesthetic had to have a COVID test 15 days before their surgery, then shield with everyone in their household for 14 days, then have another COVID test the day before their operation.

“We understand that not everyone wants to or can do this,” she said.

“If a patient is waiting for elective surgery but they don’t want to shield for two weeks, they can let us know and we will contact them again when the guidance changes. It is important for them to know that they will not be prejudiced or moved to the bottom of the list.

Both Ms Walker and Ms Gray said that the decision to have an elective procedure during this time rested with the patient. They understand that this is a very difficult time, that the situation is continually changing and that not everyone wants to come into a hospital environment.