Posted 28 July 2021 - 09:33
Posted 28 July 2021 - 09:33
News
Off-duty nurses called in amid COVID-19 surge in Northern Ireland
Rise in patient numbers and staff self-isolating put system under ‘extreme pressure’
Rise in patient numbers and staff self-isolating put system under ‘extreme pressure’, prompting appeal
Trusts in Northern Ireland were forced to appeal for help from off-duty nurses in response to a surge in COVID-19 patients and the number of staff self-isolating.
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust put out emergency appeals via social media at the weekend, calling on staff to take extra shifts.
Rising emergency admission numbers
The organisations said they had no choice but to call for help as the numbers of emergency admissions and patients in intensive care increased.
RCN Northern Ireland acting director Rita Devlin said the appeals showed the healthcare system was under huge strain. ‘Numbers of COVID-19 cases in our hospitals have risen sharply over the past week and this is now translating into ICU admissions,’ she said.
‘Significant pressure on an already fragile system’
‘Not only is this rise much quicker than we anticipated, but it is putting significant pressure on an already fragile system, due to the high number of nursing vacancies and staff isolating for COVID-related reasons.’
According to Northern Ireland’s Department of Health, there were 243 COVID-19 inpatients as of midnight on 26 July, up from 166 on 19 July.
Government data show Belfast had one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infection in the UK in the seven-days to 22 July, with 866.9 cases per 100,000 people.
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said a combination of caring for around 100 COVID-19 patients and an unprecedented number of patients attending its emergency departments prompted the appeal to staff.
‘Due to these increasing pressures over the weekend we asked off-duty nursing staff who were available to come into work to help,’ said a spokesperson.
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust said it was under extreme pressure due to increasing COVID-19 admissions and higher numbers in intensive care. A spokesperson for the trust said: ‘Alongside this, there are significant staff shortages due to the need for staff to self-isolate.’
On 23 July the Northern Ireland Department of Health said fully vaccinated healthcare staff who had been told to self-isolate by the StopCOVID NI app could attend work under exceptional circumstances where low staffing levels might compromise care. This followed a similar announced by the Westminster government.
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