Western Regional Health Authority says it is addressing shortage of neurosurgeons at Cornwall Regional Hospital

August 10, 2026

The Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) says it is actively addressing the shortage of neurosurgeons at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St. James.

This comes in the wake of concerns raised by Member of Parliament for South St. James, Nekeisha Burchell, regarding the availability of neurosurgical services at the hospital.

WRHA says measures are in place to ensure that patients requiring neurosurgical care are appropriately managed.

It notes that there are three posts for neurosurgeons; however, the hospital has only been able to fill one due to the limited availability of qualified neurosurgeons.

WRHA said the shortage of neurosurgical specialists is not unique to the Cornwall Regional Hospital and reflects a broader challenge in accessing highly specialised medical expertise.

It stated that despite this challenge, arrangements are in place with other institutions to facilitate the referral and management of patients who require neurosurgical intervention.

WRHA notes that patients who present to Cornwall and require a level of neurosurgical care that cannot be provided at the facility are referred to other appropriate institutions, including the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), based on the patient’s clinical needs.

The Authority says no patient requiring neurosurgical care is denied that care simply because a neurosurgeon is not immediately available at Cornwall Regional Hospital.

The clinical teams assess patients and activate the appropriate referral arrangements to ensure that they receive the necessary specialist attention.

It says a second neurosurgeon is expected to join the hospital team shortly, which will strengthen the hospital’s capacity to provide neurosurgical services and reduce the pressure associated with the current staffing gap.

WRHA says discussions are taking place with the University of the West Indies and its medical training programme to examine opportunities for expanding local specialist training