Granada Royal Liverpool Hospital

A man was mistakenly given a vasectomy by medics who were supposed to be performing a "minor procedure" on him, a hospital has admitted.

The patient, who has not been named, went to the Royal Liverpool Hospital for a minor urological operation but was wrongly made sterile by a blundering surgeon.

Medics tried to reverse the error but it is not known whether the reversal was successful.

Health bosses at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust said they have apologised "unreservedly" to the patient.

An operation conducted on the wrong body part is classed as a "never event" by health officials.

The incidents are regarded by the Government as so serious they should never happen. Between April and September last year there were 148 such incidents recorded by NHS England.

Medics from Gaza are undergoing training in Liverpool as part of the Liverpool International Transplant Initiative.

Surgeons from the Royal Liverpool Hospital want to establish a locally run transplant unit in the conflict hit Gaza strip.

Their priorities are to fund a tissue typing laboratory as well as other medical equipment, which could cost in the region of £500,000.

For more information visit http://www.liverpooliti.com/

Construction begins today on the new £329 million pound Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

The new Royal will have all single en-suite patient bedrooms, 18 theatres and 23 wards.

The Emergency Department will be one of the biggest in the North West.

The new hospital is expected to open in 2017

The Royal Liverpool hospital is leading the way in dealing with a rare blood disorder.

TTP is a blood clotting illness and can prove fatal unless its treated quickly.

Its one of only two centres in the UK.

UNISON, the largest health union in the UK, today criticised the announcement from Royal Liverpool Hospital that around 20 job losses are expected in the New Year.

The union claims the job cuts are expected from the Admin and Clerical staff group. More job losses are feared in other parts of the hospital next year.

Over 50 admin & clerical staff posts are being axed and replaced with lower paid jobs and a further 35 staff face cuts in their pay as a result of the Trust having to make £20 million savings.

Paul Summers, UNISON Regional Organiser said of the proposals:

“These cuts will be dressed up as efficiency savings but let’s be clear – they come as a result of Government demands for the NHS to save £20 billion by 2015.

This group of staff now fear losing their job or seeing their pay reduced. The level of funding cuts and pressure on staff will lead to services to patients being affected.

The failings at Mid-Staffordshire were linked to budget cuts and understaffing – we must defend our local NHS not cut it to the bone”.

A consultation period has now begun with staff and unions. The announcement, just before Christmas, has angered and upset staff at the hospital.

UNISON is calling on the public and Labour MP’s to campaign for fair funding for the NHS to stop the cuts at the Royal and other local NHS Trusts.

Shadow Health Secretary and Leigh MP Andy Burnham has been visiting Leighton Hospital in Crewe.

It's ahead of an Emergency summit he's called to discuss Accident and Emergency services.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, the A&E unit at the Royal Liverpool Hospital was forced to shut after reaching full capacity on both Sunday and Monday.

Dan Hewitt reports.