Closure of Coleraine emergency general surgery may result in 300 additional walk-ins per year at Altnagelvin A&E

Modelling from the Northern Trust suggests the impact of the closure of the Coleraine facility on Altnagelvin will be limited.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt says any displacement will be assessed ahead of a final decision on the proposed closure.

Mr. Nesbitt was asked by Foyle MLA Mark H. Durkan for his assessment of the impact on Altnagelvin under the plans.

“As part of their consultation process, the Northern Trust considered potential implications for Western Trust and concluded that planned mitigations within their preferred model will avoid any large-scale transfer of unscheduled surgical demand from Causeway to Altnagelvin.

“Under the Northern Trust proposal any patients attending Causeway Emergency Department requiring onward transfer for surgical admission, will be exclusively transferred to Antrim Area Hospital.

“The Northern Trust has estimated that under the proposed model, the volume of patients which would bypass Causeway Hospital by ambulance to be no more than 2 patients per week, with the majority going to Antrim.

“The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service may bring a small proportion of these patients to Altnagelvin depending on pick-up location.

"However, other than these bypass patients, NIAS would continue to bring the current profile of patients to Causeway ED, including those with possible surgical pathology,” said Mr. Nesbitt.

The minister said Causeway would still be providing assessment and treatment for patients with surgical presentations, and for most trauma cases.

He suggested Antrim Area Hospital was more likely to be impacted than Derry.

“Given the distribution of the Causeway catchment population this is more likely to impact on Antrim than Altnagelvin. Initial Northern Trust modelling based on catchment population suggested this might result in 300 additional walk-in patients per year to Altnagelvin ED. This modelling has been shared with the Western Trust.

“The Northern Trust Project Board for the development of the General Surgery Consultation included a representative from the Western Trust. Northern Trust have committed to monitoring any impact post-implementation should the proposal be approved by the Department of Health.

“I am still considering my response to the Northern Trust proposal, the potential impact on Altnagelvin and other HSC services will be considered as part of my final decision,” said Mr. Nesbitt.