THEATRE staff at Barnsley Hospital have been undergoing minor operations for conditions such as removal of warts and ingrowing toenails during their lunch breaks.
The practice has been highlighted after an email from the hospital chief executive officer Richard Jenkins telling staff to stop the practice was leaked to the Chronicle.
In the email Mr Jenkins states the practice is unacceptable because it could mean theatres and other rooms are unavailable for patient care should they be needed.
A hospital spokesman said no patient lists had been affected by the impromptu procedures, which are believed to involve minor problems.
Mr Jenkins had said in the leaked email there had been a number of incidents whereby staff within theatres have had treatment without formal referral into the system or without going through the Accident and Emergency department. It states an investigation revealed this appears to have been commonplace for a number of years.
But the practice means there is no record of the treatment, therefore no follow up and no information sent to the individual's GP, a lack of infection prevention and control processes such as screening, no ability to prescribe ongoing treatment such as antibiotics, a lack of governance regarding consent and record keeping.
A hospital spokesman said: "We can confirm it doesn't push patient lists back. It's people doing it in their lunch breaks and the types of things that have been raised are ingrowing toenails and removing warts and skin tags. The matter is being dealt with internally. It was only a few cases but it should not have been any cases and that is why the email has gone out."
For the full story, see the town edition of this week's Barnsley Chronicle
