Surgeons issue ops health warning

Doctors say it is too dangerous to carry out surgery

Safety fears at a hospital have prompted surgeons to warn that it is too dangerous to continue to operate on accident victims.

The Department of Health has described the situation as "completely unacceptable" and has warned it will take action unless the problem is rapidly resolved.

A group of ten senior surgeons at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth wrote to managers to warn that patients lives could be at risk.

This is a disgraceful situation

Dr Liam Fox, Tory health spokesman

They have recommended that all orthopaedic trauma surgery at the hospital should be stopped within the next fortnight.

The surgeons are concerned about the supply of sterile equipment for treating patients.

The hospital's sterilisation unit has not been working properly since June and doctors have become infuriated at the slow response of the management team in resolving the problem.

Last week a patient was brought to the hospital with a multiple fracture needing surgery, yet it took the surgeon involved six hours to find the necessary equipment.

Routine orthopaedic surgery was stopped three months ago to ensure there was enough properly-sterilised equipment for emergencies, but surgeons now say they cannot ensure the safety of accident victims.

The move would mean that accident victims who may need vital surgery could not be taken to the Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital.

Low morale

Morale in the orthopaedic department of the hospital is at "an all time low", the surgeons said.

Their letter says: "Despite stopping elective orthopaedic surgery we have not seen any improvements in the supply of sterile instruments for trauma.

This is completely unacceptable

Department of Health

"Indeed, the situation has become worse - we have previously taken the view that cancellation of trauma would put the patients at greater risk than continuing the service.

"But this situation has now changed ... we now feel that patients' lives and well-being are at serious risk and this situation cannot be allowed to continue.

"We have therefore come to the decision that we must recommend that trauma takes for the Queen Alexandra Hospital must cease."

The surgeons also raised concerns about the delay in typing up the medical notes of patients who have suffered broken bones.

Staff shortages mean notes from the hospital's fracture clinic now take more than two weeks to be typed up.

The surgeons say notes should take a maximum of two days to be processed.

The letter will add to fears that despite unprecedented planning and multi-million-pound investment, the Health Service is still heading for a damaging crisis this winter.

Trust statement

A statement from the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust said: "The trust recognises and acknowledges the problems with the Hospital Sterilisation and Disinfection Unit which it has been actively working on since June.

It takes a lot of courage for doctors to take a serious step like this

Dr Peter Hawker, British Medical Association

"We acknowledge that we have made very slow progress with addressing the problems and have already slowed the process to ensure patient safety.

"The trust is working very hard to ensure that orthopaedic trauma surgery continues at the hospital.

Local Conservative MP Michael Mates met Health Minister Gisela Stuart three times over the last two months to raise concerns about the problem.

He said: "I met the minister and she thanked me for possibly averting a crisis, but nothing has been done.

"I do not blame her, but I do blame the management team for being so slow to react - it is a disgrace."

Shadow Health Secretary Dr Liam Fox said: "This is a disgraceful situation, not least because ministers did know about it and failed to act.

"This is another example of Labour's obsession with spin and headlines at the expense of patients."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "This is completely unacceptable.

"The hospital should not have let this situation develop and we expect them to take very swift action - to sort out their sterilisation department, to make sure patients are safe and to deal with those who have had to wait for their operations.

"If they do not, we will consider action against the hospital managers involved."

Dr Peter Hawker, chairman of the British Medical Association's consultants committee, praised the doctors' action.

He said: "It takes a lot of courage for doctors to take a serious step like this because they are always put under huge pressure not to be disloyal to their trust.

"But patient safety must come ahead of false notions of loyalty.

"I hope that the trust will now respond with urgency and provide the surgeons with the vital equipment they need so desperately."

The hospital serves one of the biggest catchment areas in Hampshire, covering 600,000 people.