Covid-19: Staff levels in 'freefall' across health service

At Cork University Hospital, 180 of 1,400 nurses were unavailable for work this week because they had the virus, or were close contacts of a confirmed case, or self-isolating. Picture: Dan Linehan

Cork University Hospital (CUH) is poised to trigger an emergency “tiered escalation plan” to manage an unfolding Covid-19 crisis that has left staffing levels in “freefall” across the health service. 

The HSE confirmed yesterday that inpatient, daycase, and outpatient appointments at all adult hospitals were being suspended in light of the deepening Covid-19 crisis.