Kids’ and cancer surgery removed from Altnagelvin

Stomach and prostrate cancer surgeries have also been scrapped.

Health Minister Edwin Poots said elective paediatric orthopaedic surgery has been performed in Belfast only since the retirement of an Altnagelvin specialist in September 2011. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) procedures have also been removed.

Foyle MLA Colum Eastwood asked the Minister to detail the services no longer available at Altnagelvin Hospital.

Mr Poots said he had been advised by the Western Trust that AAA, Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI), Radicle prostatectomy for prostate cancer and elective paediatric orthopaedic surgery have all gone.

AAA was scrapped “as part of an ongoing Regional Review of Vascular Services. However in an emergency situation and in the interest of patient safety this procedure may still be performed in Altnagelvin,” the Minister stated.

“UGI surgery for cancer as a result of a retirement of a consultant and a regional reconfiguration of UGI on one site for all NI,” he stated.

“Radicle prostatectomy for prostate cancer following a decision, regionally, that this procedure would be centralised at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust,” he added.

And operations on kids’ bones were also removed to Belfast after the retirement of the local surgeon.

“Paediatric orthopaedic inpatient surgery is now performed in Belfast. Paediatric orthopaedic outpatient services have been maintained at Altnagelvin provided by paediatric surgeons from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust,” he stated.