Kingsbridge Private Hospitals To Assist NHS During Covid-19 Pandemic

20th, May 2020

Kingsbridge Private Hospital Belfast and Kingsbridge Private Hospital Sligo have both been supporting local public hospitals through the provision of services and treatments for non covid acquired disease.

The hospitals are providing access to their entire estates, including operating theatres and ventilators, and their staff, such as nurses, radiographers, physiotherapists and anaesthetists, will also provide care to NHS and HSE patients.

The contracts will ensure as many people as possible continue to receive treatment during the pandemic.
 
This will be a welcome development for many people, who have had diagnostic procedures and surgeries cancelled or postponed including patients with suspected cancer.

Belfast has, for the most part been undertaking complex oncology surgery including major Thoracic surgery.  There has also been an increase in surgical complexity in other areas including Ocular Plastics, Gynaecology and Neuro Spinal Surgery.
 
Sligo has been offering a range of outpatient services including Antenatal Clinics.
 
Private scans and consultations in Belfast are continuing for private patients via a new online book platform and Portal.  Sligo is currently working exclusively with the HSE and therefore no private work is being carried out.
 
The contracts have been agreed on the basis that the hospitals will be used on a not-for-profit, cost recovery only basis.
Mark Regan, CEO of Kingsbridge Private Hospitals, commented;

"I am delighted to say that Kingsbridge Private Hospital and its staff will partner our peers and colleagues in the local NHS to facilitate urgent surgery for those affected by non-Covid, disease and injury," he said.

"As we mentioned before, in agreeing to facilitate trusts in this initiative we will therefore be providing all of the main hospital beds and theatres on a not-for-profit, cost recovery basis for the duration of the pandemic, over the coming months.

"It is estimated that this arrangement will last until July but will be kept under review.

"The hospital will not be undertaking any private surgery during this period. Currently the HSC Trusts are identifying and scheduling the patients who can be treated at Kingsbridge. The initial focus in the coming days and weeks will be upon urgent elective cancer surgeries."