Health service 'under very serious threat' from Covid-19 and flu, warns HSE chief

Paul Reid said over 30% of ICU capacity is now occupied by patients with Covid-19. Photo: Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland

There is a “flood” of negative issues having an impact on hospitals, including Covid-19, early signs of the flu and respiratory conditions, the head of the HSE has said.

As of lunchtime on Thursday, there were 448 Covid-19 patients in hospitals, up 12% on last week, but down from the 486 on Wednesday morning. There were also 88 people in ICU.

Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday afternoon, Paul Reid said the health service “remains under very serious threat”.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

“We are dealing with higher volumes in our emergency departments, separate to Covid, throughout the last few weeks in particular. We have also seen early identification of the flu virus, which causes concern as we head into the winter,” he said.

“We’re also seeing the prominence of respiratory illness, early indications of RSV in children, which is an early indication on what the winter season will be like. All of those flood of negative measures are impacting on our hospitals and health care services.” 

Specifically on the virus, Mr Reid said over 30% of ICU capacity is now occupied by patients with Covid-19.

Around 65% of hospitalised Covid patients are fully vaccinated, 27% are not vaccinated, while the vaccination status of the remaining cases has not yet been identified. Of those in ICU, 41% are fully vaccinated, 52% are not vaccinated, and 5% are partially vaccinated.

“All the evidence is… this will deteriorate in the coming weeks with regards to admissions.” 

Mr Reid added the lack of booster shots for healthcare workers is a "particular cause for concern", with 1,800 staff currently on leave due to Covid-19 and the high levels of community transmission.

Anne O’Connor, chief operating officer at the HSE, said some sites around the country are under significant pressure.

She highlighted Cork University Hospital (CUH), Galway, and Limerick, who have had to curtail some services on a day-to-day basis, due to capacity issues.

However, Ms O’Connor said that the HSE was currently “not looking at” issuing a national directive to defer scheduled care, but acknowledged if Covid patients in ICU reached 150 - as has been predicted - it would not be able to continue with scheduled care in the way they would like.

(Left to right) Damien McCallion, HSE National Lead, Vaccination Programme; Paul Reid, CEO HSE; and Anne O'Connor, COO, HSE. Anne O’Connor highlighted Cork University Hospital (CUH), Galway, and Limerick, who have had to curtail some services on a day-to-day basis, due to capacity issues. Photo: Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland

Niamh O’Beirne, the lead for testing and tracing, said last week, there was an 18% increase in the number of people coming forward for testing.

Positivity rate is 11.8% in the community, she said. 

Separately, a report on rapid testing, published by the health minister on Thursday, found that antigen tests can “reliably detect those most likely to be infectious and the speed of the result enables rapid intervention to prevent onward transmission”.

“In a landscape of continual change as demonstrated by the unpredictability of this pandemic, it is possible rapid antigen testing may play an important part of future testing programmes,” it added.