Donnelly: 'Perfect storm' of flu, RSV, and Covid means pressure on hospitals will get worse

Health Minister said he is advised by hospitals that the pressure on crowded A&Es is going to increase for now

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly speaking with media outside Beaumont Hospital this evening. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said the pressure on the country’s hospital will get worse before it improves because of a “perfect storm” of Covid, RSV and an early flu wave.

Speaking tonight at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Mr Donnelly said the delays to people being admitted was “not acceptable and was never acceptable.” He said: 

What I can tell you is the HSE’s view today when I met them was that this is likely to get worse — we are likely to see more pressure. 

"They don't believe that the flu wave has peaked. 

"We'll have more up-to-date figures tomorrow. And the following day we'll have we'll have indicative figures for this week.”

Mr Donnelly said that the flu wave is “very severe”.

“It's hit earlier than it normally would. And so we have this perfect storm of RSV flu and Covid,” he said.

He said that, as a result, despite significant additional capacity being put into the system since the start of the pandemic, the current surge has all but absorbed it.

Asked why was the system not better prepared for this predictable surge, Mr Donnelly said even with an additional 1,000 hospital beds, hundreds of extra community beds, and 16,000 or more extra healthcare professionals, decades of underinvestment means there is a “very clear deficit” in terms of what is needed.

“Unfortunately, we're also dealing with the worst health crisis in 100 years, together with what has been a very severe wave of RSV and we're aware of what what has happened with that, together with what is an early and very severe wave of the flu,” he said.

Mr Donnelly made clear that there is no advice likely to come from the Chief Medical Officer in the short term requiring people to wear masks, despite calls from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

However, he did say that the situation will be kept under review and a change could happen in due course.

“I spoke to the Chief Medical Officer in the last few hours on exactly that — so I don't anticipate any change coming in terms of the public health advice from the chief medical officer,” he said.

“However, I want to fully acknowledge the INMO’s concerns. I think they are playing a very constructive role and very, I got a letter in front of him today with a good chat earlier on today. They're looking for solutions. 

"The public health advice to government, to me, at the moment is not to move the mask mandates but obviously we will keep the situation under review on a daily and on a weekly basis,” he added.

Mr Donnelly said that a number of beds in hospitals across the country have been closed as part of “infection control” measures but did accept that some beds have had to remain closed due to staffing issues.

He accepted that notwithstanding the HSE’s Winter Plan, targets for delivery of service have not been met and this is having an impact on the situation.