HSE claims hospital Covid-19 outbreaks are 'in hand' despite unavailable staff

University Hospital Limerick has had to cancel many outpatient appointments and elective procedures due to Covid-19 outbreaks. File Picture

Additional reporting: Steven Heaney

The HSE has insisted that the situation at four hospitals in Ireland which have seen huge numbers of staff taken out of circulation is “in hand”.

Speaking at a briefing this afternoon, HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid said the staff shortages were putting the hospitals under significant pressure.

Some 161 members of staff are unavailable at University Hospital Limerick and Ennis Hospital, as both struggle with Covid-19 outbreaks.

Both hospitals closed wards and cancelled procedures yesterday and today as a result of the staff shortages.

77 and 55 people at Naas and Letterkenny hospitals are also currently unable to work due to either having the virus or being a close contact.

HSE chief executive Paul Reid described the impact at the affected facilities as being “significant”. Speaking at the executive’s weekly update Mr Reid said: “We are losing a lot of staff on shifts, and it’s causing significant disruption.”

One medical source at Naas Hospital, which requested on Tuesday that people cease attending its Emergency Department, said: “We keep shouting. We are drowning, no one seems to care.

“It has been widely publicised that we are having an outbreak. No one is listening.”

However, Dr Vida Hamilton, the HSE’s group lead for acute hospitals, said all four outbreaks are being “managed appropriately”.

HSE CEO, Paul Reid has insisted the outbreaks are "in hand." Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Speaking at the National Public Health Emergency Team’s biweekly Covid-19 briefing, Dr Hamilton did allow that the situations at the four hospitals “haven’t stabilised, but we’re happy the situation is in hand”.

“Each of these hospitals has its own outbreak team. All of them are having daily meetings, have curtailed services and procedures,” she said.

She added that mass testing of staff and patients continues at each hospital.

Meanwhile, the UL Hospitals Group has confirmed that all routine outpatient appointments along with the majority of elective procedures at both Limerick and Ennis hospitals as it struggles to bring its virus outbreaks under control.

Also Speaking at the briefing, Mr Reid did speak of the positive impact level 5 Covid-19 restrictions were having on the profile of the virus here, he also said Ireland was “only halfway through” and that a difficult challenge was ahead over the next few weeks.

He said: “As long as we have the virus and as long as we have the presence of the virus, it puts our healthcare system at risk.”