Ops suspended at NI hospitals
Shortage of theatre nurses
Routine operations are being suspended in hospitals across Northern Ireland.
Trusts say there is a shortage of theatre nurses.
One hospital source told Downtown & Cool FM: "We are heading for a perfect storm in health.
"Right now there is no scope for elective (planned) surgery across Northern Ireland," the source said.
"There are simply not enough nurses in the system."
It is understood the problem has been an ongoing one for hospitals and is particularly worrying at the moment with winter pressures on the horizon and the pending industrial action by nurses and healthcare workers.
The current situation means hospitals have not been able to book any theatres for non-urgent or emergency treatment right across the surgical spectrum.
A spokesman for the Belfast Trust said it was unable to say how long the suspension would last.
"To ensure patients undergoing surgery receive nursing care from the appropriately skilled staff it is vital to secure safe nursing levels in Theatres and ICU," he said.
"The Trust is currently experiencing perioperative nurse staffing shortages and not all theatres are operating at their fully funded capacity as a result.
"In order to ensure the number of staff remain within agreed safe levels, approximately two and a half operating theatres per week are not providing their routine service.
"The sessions which are not being provided are shared across all surgical specialities. The Trust is currently unable to predict how long the measures will remain in place but can confirm all efforts are being made to recruit and retain skilled perioperative staff."
In a statement, the Southern Trust said it had been left with no option but to "temporarily suspend some surgical sessions.
A Trust spokesperson said: “Our priority is to ensure that there are appropriate numbers of nurses with the appropriate level of skill in our theatres to keep our patients safe.
"The shortage of theatre nurses is having an impact on our theatres and regrettably we are not currently able to operate at full capacity.
"We have been left with no option but to temporarily suspend some surgical sessions.
"This reduction equates to the capacity of one theatre in Craigavon Area Hospital and a part reduction in capacity of a theatre in Daisy Hill Hospital. Emergency, red flag and urgent surgery is continuing as normal.
"We continue to do everything possible to recruit nursing staff for theatres."