Plans to concentrate emergency general surgery at Antrim Area Hospital and designate Causeway Hospital as a major elective surgery centre have been discussed at a Northern Health and Social Care Trust board meeting. The proposal, which the Trust recommended to the Department of Health in May 2025, aims to address workforce pressures and improve patient outcomes.

Dr Eunice Minford, clinical director of surgery, told the board that the current model of providing emergency surgery across two sites is becoming unsustainable. She described it as fragile and warned that safety could not be guaranteed if the service reached a point of collapse.

Staffing challenges include consultant vacancies, high dependency on locums, and a weekend on-call rota that places a heavy workload on individual consultants. Dr Minford said the Trust has an ageing cohort of surgeons, with many over 50, and younger surgeons also find weekend shifts demanding.

Consolidating the service at Antrim would create a larger pool of surgeons and help strengthen both emergency and planned surgery, she argued. Causeway could then focus on high-volume elective work, reducing waiting times and becoming a centre of excellence and surgical training hub.

The Department of Health has not yet reached a decision on the recommendation. Officials told the Stormont Health Committee last week that they are awaiting a business case from the Trust.

Trust board chair Anne O'Reilly said the board remains committed to the recommendation and will continue to work towards its implementation. Any change requires approval from the Health Minister and Department of Health.