War forced hospital to go private

A number of operations had to be diverted to the private sector

The loss of medical staff during the Iraq war forced a Plymouth hospital to spend nearly £1.5m on private operations.

Derriford Hospital had to divert work to private hospitals because so many of its staff were caring for casualties in the war.

Half of the Ministry of Defence's 180 medical staff at the hospital were called up for service earlier this year.

They work at the hospital treating civilian patients, on the understanding that they are released during times of conflict.

Anaesthetists were the hardest staff members to replace.

New centre

The hospital calculated that, during the war, about 900 patients could not be anaesthetised because they did not have anyone to do the work.

They were transferred to private hospitals for their operations.

The hospital announced last week that a new treatment centre was to be opened next April.

It will be staffed by South Africans and will take some pressure off the hospital.

It should also reduce the need to divert patients to private hospitals.