Wednesday 06 March 2024
The Princess Elizabeth Hospital is currently at full capacity so some elective surgeries have unfortunately, but unavoidably, had to be postponed.
So far 19 elective surgeries (13 orthopaedic and six general) have been postponed. All cancer or emergency surgeries have gone ahead and will continue to be prioritised.
There may be further disruption to elective surgeries in the coming days until the capacity issues have resolved. There are 113 beds at the PEH, excluding De Havilland ward which is ordinarily ring-fenced for orthopaedic patients, and the hospital has run at capacity for the last two weeks.
Additional temporary beds, called flex beds, have been utilised but cannot be used for longer than a short-term fix, which is why the difficult decision has been taken to postpone some elective surgery.
HSC recognises it is always disappointing when elective surgery has to be postponed and apologises for the impact this has on individuals and their families. There is no single factor impacting on acute care and it is a seasonal issue with demand outstripping available capacity. Teams have worked tirelessly to minimise the numbers of postponed elective surgery.
The situation is being closely monitored with priority given to elective cancer surgery and urgent emergency admissions. By postponing orthopaedic surgery, we have utilised De Havilland ward for other surgical patients.
HSC will provide a further update as the situation improves.
