Causeway hospital to maintain critical care service and Emergency Department during pandemic

by Q Radio News

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has confirmed the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine will continue to maintain a critical care service (ICU) during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Emergency Department will also continue to operate as normal. 

It comes after claims were made on social media, the ICU services would be shutting within the next seven to ten days and staff would be getting moved elsewhere. 

It sparked widespread concern within the community. 

However, the trust said during the COVID-19 surge period, if a patient requires "mechanical ventilation they will be stabilised and safely transferred" to Antrim Area or another critical care unit in Northern Ireland. 

The arrangements are only temporary due to the limited workforce in Causeway and the fact the likes of Antrim Area hospital has been specifically set up to deal with these cases. 

The full statement from a Northern Trust spokesperson said, “The Emergency Department at Causeway will continue to operate as normal and the hospital will also continue to maintain a critical care service (ICU) to support the provision of emergency and acute services, including much of the Northern Trust’s red flag cancer surgery.

“During the COVID-19 surge period, if a patient requires mechanical ventilation they will be stabilised and safely transferred to Antrim Area or another critical care Unit within the Northern Ireland Critical Care Network.

"This is a temporary arrangement and reflects the limited anaesthetic medical and ICU nursing workforce in Causeway and the fact that other hospitals such as Antrim Area have been specifically set up to deal with such cases.”