MLA Bradley praises Causeway doctor’s challenge of plans to remove emergency general surgery from Coleraine hospital
DUP East Londonderry MLA Maurice Bradley has praised the courage of a senior Causeway Hospital doctor who has publicly challenged the proposed transfer of emergency general surgery to Antrim Area Hospital.
Mr Bradley said the doctor’s intervention confirmed that there was no single clinical consensus supporting the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s proposal.
He warned that removing emergency surgery could trigger a “domino effect”, threatening other essential services and Causeway’s long-term viability as an acute hospital.
Mr Bradley said: “I commend this senior doctor for having the courage to speak publicly about the serious concerns held by many clinicians working inside Causeway Hospital.
“It is deeply troubling that an experienced doctor believes it necessary to request anonymity before raising legitimate concerns about patient safety, staffing pressures and the future viability of the hospital.
“The doctor has warned that removing emergency general surgery could affect the medical team, gastroenterology, intensive care, the Emergency Department and many other interdependent services. That warning must not be dismissed, diluted or buried beneath carefully managed corporate messaging.
“It also challenges the impression that there is one settled clinical consensus supporting the transfer of emergency surgery to Antrim. Clearly, experienced clinicians at Causeway have serious and sincerely held concerns about the Trust’s preferred proposal.
“I encourage other doctors, surgeons, nurses and healthcare professionals who share those concerns to come forward. They should not allow any perceived fear factor to prevent them from speaking honestly and professionally about patient safety.”
Mr Bradley said the doctor’s concerns were supported by evidence contained in the Northern Trust’s own consultation report and Board minutes.
“The Trust’s own Board minutes acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of consultation respondents opposed the proposal. They also record what the Chief Executive described as a tremendous depth of feeling, including among some members of the Trust’s staff.
“The consultation report records explicit warnings that Causeway was being sacrificed in favour of Antrim and that removing emergency surgery could threaten the sustainability of other acute services.
“It records concerns about the five essential pillars of an acute hospital, the future of intensive care and anaesthetics, recruitment to the Emergency Department, the potential deskilling of staff and whether Causeway would remain attractive to doctors and surgeons
“These are effectively the same dangers now being identified by a senior doctor working inside Causeway Hospital. The feared domino effect is not something manufactured by politicians or campaigners – it appears throughout the Trust’s own consultation evidence.
“The Trust’s report also records a recurring view that surgical services at Antrim were already struggling while it was Causeway’s services that were being disrupted.
“Respondents warned that sending additional patients to Antrim could increase waiting times, reduce the quality of care, place further pressure on staff and resources and create greater risks for patients. The Trust’s own management acknowledged concerns about Antrim’s capacity before recommending the proposal ‘on the balance of risk’.
“That is very different from demonstrating that those risks have been eliminated.
“Retaining emergency general surgery at Causeway is, in my view, the best option for protecting patients and preserving the hospital’s status as a genuine acute hospital.
“Removing it risks destabilising Causeway while placing intolerable additional pressure on Antrim. Instead of preventing the collapse of one service, the Trust could create a wider crisis across both hospital sites.”