Major disruption as IT and radiology problems hit Wigan's hospitals

Patients are being transferred to other hospitals and appointments are being cancelled amid a major system breakdown across the borough's hospitals.
Wigan InfirmaryWigan Infirmary
Wigan Infirmary

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust says problems with its IT system and radiology departments were causing "disruption" on Wednesday.

Related: Patients speak of cancelled appointments and tests amid system breakdown at Wigan's hospitalsPatients taken to the A&E department on emergency 999 calls are still being accepted, but then moved to other hospitals.

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Non-urgent and planned outpatient appointments that require diagnostics are being cancelled.

A spokesman said: "Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust is currently experiencing problems storing and viewing diagnostic images in radiology (X-Ray, CT and MRI scans) departments and with our IT infrastructure on all sites across the trust, causing disruption to services.

"Any non-urgent or planned outpatient appointments that require diagnostics have been cancelled until further notice.

"Support has been provided from partners across Greater Manchester to help reduce the number of patients attending for non-urgent diagnostic imaging. This will allow WWL time to undertake the necessary actions so systems can be safely restarted in attempts to resolve the problem.

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"We would like to reassure our patients that we are working with the North West Ambulance Service to ensure that patients who need emergency or urgent care are taken to the most appropriate hospital.

"All emergency 999 calls will still be accepted at the Royal Albert Edward site where patients will be stabilised before transfer to another hospital.

"Patients who need urgent health advice are advised to visit their local pharmacy or contact NHS 111 by phone or online at 111.nhs.uk."

It is understood the Thomas Linacre Centre was shut this morning but has since reopened.

Staff have reportedly been told the problems will continue for 24 hours.

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