Hartlepool hospital trust says it's safe for patients to come in for surgery and appointments

Planned operations and appointments are starting to return at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust as the pressure of Covid-19 reduces.

No new deaths linked to coronavirus have been recorded at the trust since Saturday, June 27.

The trust has continued to operate on cancer patients during the pandemic and says the risk of catching the disease while in hospital is very small.

Deputy medical director Chris Tulloch said: “As we reintroduce our elective programme which was put on hold as a result of the pandemic, we are reassuring patients that it is safe to come in.

“For anyone coming in for surgery there are a number of measures in place.

“Patients due for surgery are asked to self-isolate for two weeks before their operation.

“The normal practice is we ring the patients beforehand – I’ve had one patient who was very concerned, we have put his date back for three months and hopefully he’ll feel happier then.

“Because we have been operating on cancer patients throughout this period, we know that the risk is extremely small.”

Mr Tulloch said over 1,000 operations have been carried out across the Tees Valley with only a couple developing into cases of the virus.

Operations are divided into ‘clean areas’.

Mr Tulloch added: “I am very confident it is safe to come in. I have been going in throughout this period and I would be classed as an at risk person myself – I am not frightened.

“For any patients with appointments, we want to assure people that we space these appointments out so patients don’t meet.

"We have created an entirely clean pathway.

“We will be detecting more cancers and more issues – this is the right thing to do and I am delighted these appointments are returning.”

The message comes after leaders from three of the North East’s NHS trusts came together to send out a message that hospitals are still open and people should not ignore symptoms that could be life-threatening.

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