Northern Trust board to decide future of general surgery services at upcoming meeting in Ballymena

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust will bring forward a recommendation on the future delivery model of its general surgery service for approval by its Board this week.

The proposal, developed following an extensive period of public consultation and engagement, will be presented at a public meeting in Ballymena on Thursday 22 May.

The meeting, scheduled for 10.30am at The Braid, marks a significant milestone in the Trust’s ongoing efforts to transform its general surgery provision. The Trust has confirmed that any members of the public wishing to attend may register their interest by emailing Karen.Okane@northerntrust.hscni.net.

The recommendation to the Board follows a comprehensive review prompted by a series of challenges that have impacted the sustainability of the current model.

Chief among these are persistent workforce shortages, which have made it increasingly difficult to maintain safe and effective staffing levels across both Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital.

The Trust has also highlighted that compliance with the Department of Health’s updated standards for emergency and elective surgery, as outlined in the Department’s 2022 Review of General Surgery, requires service reconfiguration. These standards aim to improve surgical outcomes and ensure equitable access to timely care.

The Trust undertook a wide-ranging consultation process, including staff engagement and public meetings, to inform its final recommendation.

“This work has involved a lot of listening to staff, patients and the public,” said a Trust spokesperson. “We would like to thank everyone who took the time to contribute to the process and to share their views.”

The spokesperson continued: “We understand that any potential changes to services are of real importance to the communities we serve. That is why it is vital that we get this right.”

The final recommendation, if approved by the Board, must also receive approval from the Health Minister and the Department of Health before any changes can be implemented.

Based on the overall options appraisal, it is the recommendation of the Project Board for approval at Trust Board that a public consultation is held to consider the two highest scoring ‘do something’ options. In line with usual practice the ‘do nothing’ option is also retained for comparison. The shortlisted options were agreed as:

• Option 1: Do nothing. Maintain inpatient emergency, major colorectal and high volume elective activity on both Antrim and Causeway sites.

• Option 2: Centralise emergency general surgery and major colorectal in Causeway Hospital, and high volume elective activity in Antrim Area Hospital.

• Option 3: Centralise emergency general surgery and major colorectal in Antrim Area Hospital, and high volume elective activity in Causeway Hospital.

Based on the options appraisal set out above, the Trust’s preferred option is Option 3.

Further details on the consultation and proposed changes can be found on the Trust’s website.