Ten operations cancelled each week due to rising Covid-19 cases

The number of new cases of Covid-19 topped 3,000 for the third day in a row yesterday

Rising Covid cases are leading to the cancellation of ten scheduled operations per week at 21 hospitals across the country, the HSE's director of acute services has warned.

The comments from Liam Woods come less than a day after HSE chief executive Paul Reid warned of "significant and unrelenting pressure" on the hospital system.

The number of new cases of Covid-19 topped 3,000 for the third day in a row yesterday, with 458 people recorded in hospital. 

Mr Woods told RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland that the demand on emergency departments independent from Covid is also very high.

The increase in attendance in emergency departments had been driven by difficulties in accessing care in the community, particularly in the over-75 category, he said. This was reflected in a high need for care which was putting pressure on the system.

Attendance at emergency departments has increased by 10% to 15% when compared to 2019, the last 'normal' year, Mr Woods said.

Liam Woods, HSE National Director of Acute Operations. Photograph: Leah Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Mr Woods also said that details of the HSE's winter plan should be revealed in “the next few days”. The reality was that work on the plan had commenced last summer, but that the particulars of it were still “a matter for dialogue”.

When questioned about this, he said this was “simply” a reflection that the allocation from the Budget has to be translated into the service plan for 2022.

The wider plan was to grow capacity in acute and community services to meet population demands, he explained. Over 1,100 extra beds had been opened since the start of Covid and the number of intensive care beds had risen from 255 to 300, said Mr Woods. 

“That’s going to need to continue. We’re going to need to meet the growing health care demand.” 

In the short term, the HSE is using the private hospital system to provide 1,000 beds per week, use of which varied depending on the phase of the pandemic. Urgent surgeries were being diverted while cancer care would continue “no matter what is happening” he said.

Emergency departments would “always” remain open, he said.