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A union has called for the immediate suspension of non-essential services at Naas General Hospital in Co Kildare following a Covid-19 outbreak among front-line nursing staff.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization (INMO) said late Friday that 35 nurses and 10 health care assistants were unavailable for work because they had been diagnosed with the virus or were close contacts.
A spokesperson said the situation had arisen in recent days and that the union has met with hospital management to try to address the problem.
Front-line hospital staff will be tested for the virus to detect any asymptomatic or not yet detected cases to get a more accurate picture of how far it has spread.
Meanwhile, INMO has written to hospital management requesting the immediate cessation of all elective day surgeries and outpatient work to allow for the safe staffing of inpatient lists.
Absolutely necessary
He has asked the hospital and HSE to inform the public of the situation and advise that they only attend when absolutely necessary.
All GPs in the area of influence must also be informed of the “crisis” and send referrals to other places, he said.
The HSE did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday.
“It is unacceptable that the hospital remains fully operational while staffing levels are at such a critical level,” said INMO labor relations officer Joe Hoolan.
“We need decisive action to avoid putting patients and staff at risk. Our members have serious concerns regarding significant staff shortages this weekend and next week. There is an immense risk to the safe care of the patient as the staff struggle to maintain the service in unviable conditions. “
Pause
Hoolan said that all front-line personnel should be tested for Covid-19 immediately.
“In light of this, all non-essential services must be stopped for a minimum of seven days. The well-being of patients and staff must be the top priority at this time, ”he said.
Naas General Hospital is a 243-bed public acute care hospital serving the Kildare and West-Wicklow catchment area. INMO stated that it is currently operating at about 58 percent of its capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions.
However, he said the 35 affected frontline nurses make up about 10 percent of a staff roster of 320, and not all are ward-based. Most of the hospital care is related to unscheduled hospital admissions through the emergency department.
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