West's hospital boss worried about ‘what's coming down the tracks’

THE most senior HSE officer in the west of Ireland has flagged his concerns over 'what's coming down the tracks' due to the fourth Covid wave.

Tony Canavan, head of the Saolta Hospital Group, which covers Mayo University Hospital, said a plan is being put in place to manage services across the healthcare system.

He elaborated: “We have been looking at some modelling in regard to predicting what might be coming down the tracks.

“Right now we expect Covid numbers in our hospitals and ICUs to rise and that this will progress through December.

“On a positive note, we expect it to level out at a high level of patients through December and into January.

“All our hospitals in the region are extremely busy and emergency department numbers have exceeded those of last year considerably and admissions to hospitals from emergency departments is very high relative compared to pre-Covid levels.

“This has resulted in a rise in the number of patients on trolleys awaiting treatment.”

He stated there is considerable concern around staffing levels and recruitment of new staff to the public health service.

“We have concerns on staffing. We are conscious our staff are facing into a very difficult period and they are being asked again to rise to the challenges facing them.

“Staffing levels are also a concern and we are looking at the key areas of concern outside core services, in relation to Covid, such as our ICUs, EDs and most of our testing, tracing and vaccination centres.”

Mr. Canavan added that there are no admissions now being accepted into Saolta hospitals other than serious elective surgeries and those requiring critical care.

He said: “Our hospitals are looking at admission on elective basis only and all electives are scrutinised so that only the most in need are admitted, the rationale being that, in so far as possible, we retain capacity to treat Covid as it arises over the coming weeks.

“This means all hospitals are looking at elective and only the most important get in, i.e. where there is cancer or risk to life or limb.

“We are currently heavily involved in the provision of the booster vaccination programme and by and large we have completed that section of older people in residential care centres.

“There is a final mop-up of staff to be done and the focus on boosters to health care workers and then on to the general public.

“Our plan in relation to the booster programme is to accelerate it in to January, February and March, and we are planning on vaccinating significant numbers of the population in that time.

“Given the accelerated change and the fact we are facing into a very difficult period, with the traditional winter pressure and the growing impact of Covid-19, we have renewed our message to the general public to please pay particular attention to the public health guidelines, use face masks, practice good hand hygiene and limit your social contacts to where it is necessary; we ask people to maintain a social distance.”