Covid: 17 hospitals across Greater Manchester pause non-urgent surgeries as cases soar

Routine surgery and appointments at 17 hospitals across Greater Manchester have been put on hold because of the rising impact of Covid.

The move is a "temporary measure" and will not affect cancer and urgent care - including cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, and transplantation, the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership said.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority said in some hospitals, more than one in five patients have Covid and around 15% of hospital staff are off ill with Covid or isolating.

Similar precautions are already being brought in by trusts covering Blackpool and Morecambe Bay, after both announced critical incidents over the bank holiday weekend.

The Omicron variant of Covid is said to be causing mass absences across a range of industries, with the government forecasting that 25% of workforces could be forced into self-isolation by the fast-spreading strain.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority announced on Tuesday that 17 hospitals in the region would pause some non-urgent surgery and appointments. Cancer and urgent care would not be affected, the authority said.

The hospitals affected are:

  • Royal Bolton Hospital

  • Fairfield General Hospital

  • Manchester Royal Infirmary

  • Manchester Royal Eye Hospital

  • University Dental Hospital of Manchester

  • St Mary’s Hospital

  • North Manchester General Hospital

  • The Royal Oldham Hospital

  • Salford Royal Hospital

  • Stepping Hill Hospital

  • Tameside General Hospital

  • Trafford General Hospital

  • Royal Albert Edward Infirmary

  • Wrightington Hospital

  • Leigh Infirmary

  • Wythenshawe Hospital

  • Macclesfield District General Hospital

By declaring an internal critical incident, hospital trusts are able to get assistance from nearby hospitals and other NHS trusts, while increasing co-operation between health care centres.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers said it allows them to "carry on providing the services that it needs to provide, particularly the critical and essential services".

By declaring an internal critical incident, hospital trusts are able to get assistance from nearby hospitals and other NHS trusts. Credit: PA

Greater Manchester Combined Authority said Covid admissions are "rising sharply" from 126 on December 19 to 359 on January 2 and inpatient diagnoses more than tripled from 193 to 738.

It added: "There are also outbreaks in an increasing number of care homes, which is affecting how people are discharged from hospital.

"The bed modelling suggests these challenges may get worse, not better, in the next week or two."

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