Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside has declared a critical incident and slammed the brakes on all elective surgeries. An urgent scramble is underway to fix a severe shortage of sterile surgical instruments, with neighbouring NHS trusts stepping in to help.

Elective Ops Suspended Amid Sterile Instrument Shortage

Last week, Arrowe Park Hospital, part of Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, paused elective procedures after a major problem was uncovered in their Sterile Services Department. A lack of safe, sterile surgical tools has brought routine operations to a grinding halt.

The trust is now buying new equipment and borrowing kits from nearby hospitals including Aintree and the Countess of Chester, which have taken on diverted patients to ease the mounting pressure.

Patient Safety ‘Top Priority’ as Trust Battles Crisis

The trust stressed patient safety remains paramount. A message to staff said: “Patient safety is always our top priority and we took the difficult decision to pause elective activity last week while the issue was being looked into.”

It continued: “Yesterday afternoon, a critical incident was declared at the trust and we have command and control structures in place to manage this incident.”

A spokesperson added: “Due to an issue in our Sterile Services Department affecting surgical instruments in recent days which unfortunately has not been resolved, the Trust has taken the decision to declare a Critical Incident. We have robust plans in place and are seeking support from other trusts to minimise patient impact at this time.”

Patients Left Anxious as Surgery Delays Grow

Worries are rising among patients facing surgery delays.

The hospital has responded by rushing in extra surgical instruments and working with regional NHS partners to secure more supplies. The crisis remains ongoing as the trust fights to get services back on track.