Some surgeries cancelled amid critical incident

Disruption to elective surgeries may continue over the coming days due to capacity issues, the States of Guernsey has said.

It announced on Tuesday the Princess Elizabeth Hospital was over-capacity and a critical incident had been declared.

It said as a result some planned surgeries were postponed to ensure safe practice but all cancer and emergency services had gone ahead and would continue to be prioritised.

The government added it recognised it was disappointing when elective surgeries had to be postponed and apologised for the impact this had - it said all postponed procedures will be rearranged as soon as possible.

The States said: "There may be further disruption to elective surgeries in the coming days until the capacity issues have been resolved."

It said there was no single factor driving the current level of admissions and to manage demands additional temporary beds had been opened.

The temporary beds would not be able to be used long term which was why the decision had been made to postpone some elective surgeries.

The government added while the current hospital pressures were not linked to the recent hot weather it wanted to remind islanders to stay hydrated, use sun protection and check in on those who may be vulnerable.

It said the situation would be closely monitored and assessed by the critical incident team and any patients affected would be contacted directly.

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