Galway Bay fm newsroom – A review has been launched at University Hospital Galway after an amputation was performed in a general ward yesterday.
Medical protocols normally require that amputations take place under sterile conditions and under anesthetic in a scheduled theatre.
Saolta says it cannot outline the circumstances of the incident due to patient confidentiality – but has confirmed that the incident did occur on Friday.
According to the Irish Times, theatre space had been booked for a patient who was due to have several toes amputated.
However, the procedure was carried out in a ward instead and it’s understood nursing staff at the hospital fear that protocols may have been breached.
In a statement, Saolta says that an inquiry has been initiated into the circumstances surrounding a surgical procedure at ward level at University Hospital Galway.
It follows the implementation of the full capacity protocol on several occasions over the past few weeks – and the recent revelation that UHG has the longest waiting lists in the country.