First public consultation on Northern Trust plans to centralise emergency general surgery in Antrim set for Cookstown

At a meeting of the Board of the Northern Trust in August, the Trust’s senior management outlined an evidence-based case for change, proposing to centralise emergency general surgery at Antrim Area Hospital, while the majority of elective general surgery (planned surgery and procedures) will take place at Causeway Hospital.

Kevin McMahon, Director of Surgery and Clinical Services with the Northern Trust, said: “Currently we provide elective (planned) and emergency general surgery at both Antrim and Causeway and, for a number of reasons, that model cannot be sustained in the longer-term.

“Our surgical teams also believe change is needed, and together we have looked at how we can create a better service for patients, while delivering a safe and responsive general surgery service for the future.

“Over the last few months, we have engaged extensively with key staff to work through the options and identify what we believe is the best possible delivery model for our patients and service users, and the wider community.

“The proposal we have brought forward to our Trust Board, and which will now go out for public consultation, is an evidence-based case for change.”

A review of general surgery within the Northern Trust is made necessary by a number of factors including workforce challenges, which have made it increasingly difficult to maintain the required levels of staffing to deliver all aspects of general surgery services across two sites.

Additionally, new Departmental standards for emergency and elective surgery contained within the Department of Health’s 2022 Review of General Surgery, cannot be fully met without service reconfiguration.

Gillian Traub, Northern Trust Director of Operations, said: “We know that there has been a lot of rumour and speculation around Causeway Hospital’s future since the transformation of our maternity services in 2023; and we expect people will have questions and concerns around further proposed transformation within the Northern Trust.

“That is why the public consultation process is so important. We want to engage with as many people as possible over the coming weeks, to explain how we have arrived at this evidence-based proposal for change, and provide answers and reassurance about the future of our general surgery service, and Causeway Hospital.

“As outlined in our Vision for Causeway, it is, and will remain, a vital part of our acute hospital network, and this proposed reconfiguration of general surgery won’t change that. In fact, we believe this proposal will further strengthen our case for Causeway Hospital becoming an elective hub for the entire North West region – one of the ambitions contained within our Vision.”

The 14-week public consultation will open on Friday 23 August until Friday 29 November, 2024.

A series of public engagement sessions will take place, giving people the opportunity to ask questions to members of the Trust’s senior management team about the proposed change: including on Monday October 7 at 7pm, in Lodge Hotel, Coleraine and Wednesday, October 9 in Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim.

There will also be an online engagement session on Tuesday October 1 at 7pm for anyone unable to attend the in-person events.