Catbird
Senior Moderator
Blackburn Hospital cancels operations after surge in flu and norovirus
" HOSPITAL bosses have cancelled ?most? non-urgent operations at Royal Blackburn Hospital this week.
An ?unprecedented? number of sick and elderly patients with severe flu and the winter vomiting bug norovirus has put a strain on bed availability, they said.
Elective and investigative surgeries have been postponed from today and some day case operations and endoscopy procedures will shift to Burnley General Hospital.
Bosses could not say how many operations had been cancelled or how long patients would have to wait for their surgery but they hoped it would be a ?short- term measure?.
They insisted staff were not affected and emergency and major operations would continue as normal.
Neil Upson, director at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, said: ?We are still under extreme pressure from flu and norovirus. We are cancelling most surgery at the moment. We are trying to fit everybody within a timely fashion.?
Maire Morton, divisional director for surgery and anaesthetic services at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ?Due to the unprecedented number of very sick and elderly patients being admitted to the Royal Blackburn Hospital which is putting a significant amount of pressure on bed availability, the trust is unfortunately having to cancel a number of surgical operations for this week and is moving some day case operations and endoscopy procedures from the Royal Blackburn to Burnley General Hospital."
" HOSPITAL bosses have cancelled ?most? non-urgent operations at Royal Blackburn Hospital this week.
An ?unprecedented? number of sick and elderly patients with severe flu and the winter vomiting bug norovirus has put a strain on bed availability, they said.
Elective and investigative surgeries have been postponed from today and some day case operations and endoscopy procedures will shift to Burnley General Hospital.
Bosses could not say how many operations had been cancelled or how long patients would have to wait for their surgery but they hoped it would be a ?short- term measure?.
They insisted staff were not affected and emergency and major operations would continue as normal.
Neil Upson, director at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, said: ?We are still under extreme pressure from flu and norovirus. We are cancelling most surgery at the moment. We are trying to fit everybody within a timely fashion.?
Maire Morton, divisional director for surgery and anaesthetic services at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ?Due to the unprecedented number of very sick and elderly patients being admitted to the Royal Blackburn Hospital which is putting a significant amount of pressure on bed availability, the trust is unfortunately having to cancel a number of surgical operations for this week and is moving some day case operations and endoscopy procedures from the Royal Blackburn to Burnley General Hospital."