Nurses in Irish hospitals are calling for more public health measures, particularly in healthcare settings, to deal with a huge surge in cases on wards around the country.
With Covid-19 cases rising nationwide, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for additional public health measures due to the impact the rise is having on hospitals and staff.
From the end of May to July 4, the number of patients with Covid-19 in hospitals in Ireland increased from 198 to 885 with the numbers still rising.
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INMO President, Karen McGowan said: “As a nurse in an extremely busy emergency department where COVID hospitalisations are quite high, I can say with confidence that the pressure that all nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers are under at the moment is unsustainable. The rate at which we are seeing infections rise in our hospitals is extremely worrying. From the 29th of May 2022 to 4th July 2022, we have seen COVID hospitalisations increase from 198 to 885, a 347% increase.
“The INMO Executive today have taken the decision to call on the interim Chief Medical Officer and the HSE's Chief Clinical Officer to advise Government and the HSE on additional measures that can be taken to alleviate the pressure that is on the health system.
"These include the reintroduction of immediate COVID screening upon arrival of patients to EDs, strengthening advice around mask wearing, a second booster for healthcare workers and improved ventilation in healthcare settings," she added.
“We know anecdotally that COVID is seriously impacting our rosters but as the HSE no longer publish the levels of healthcare workers infected with COVID by profession this makes it impossible to know the exact scale of the problem. We cannot adequately plan for what COVID might look like in our hospitals at what is traditionally the busiest period of the year (November, December, January) if we don’t know the scale of the problem now during an abnormally busy time. "
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: "We have just emerged from the worst June for hospital overcrowding on record coupled with sharp increases in COVID cases in our hospitals. It is a wholly unsafe environment for our members to operate in at the moment which is having implications for patient safety.
“Since the removal of the requirement to wear masks, we have seen over 39,861 people on trolleys in our hospitals while COVID cases are on the rise once again. While we understand that legislation is currently being prepared to legally underpin advice on mask-wearing, we cannot wait for the Oireachtas to pass legislation in the Autumn.
"Unfortunately, COVID does not pay heed to the legislative agenda. Mask wearing in indoor and congregated settings must be introduced alongside a strong public health campaign.
“It is unfathomable to us as nurses that as COVID hospitalisations are on a sharp increase, immediate screening upon arrival to our EDs has ceased. Without screening upon arrival, we do not know the true scale of cases within our hospital system," she continued.
"All 29 emergency departments that nurses are currently working in are completely unsafe and overcrowded environment and not knowing the scale of COVID in our EDs is only making the situation worse. Screening upon arrival must be reintroduced for those presenting to EDs and same day admissions for elective care.
“It has been 9 months since healthcare workers first received their COVID booster vaccine. We believe that it is time for the National Immunisation Advisory Committee to recommend that patient-facing healthcare workers be provided with an appropriate second booster. We believe this is a decision that should be made swiftly.
“The INMO has long called for the ventilation/airflow in hospitals to be examined. Health settings are not just places of care; they are workplaces for thousands of workers. The provision of a safe and healthy workplace is a legal responsibility held by employers, the safety of nurses and midwives should not be a secondary matter.
"The vast majority of COVID outbreaks are now occurring in healthcare settings so ensuring proper air quality would go a long way to increasing the safety of our members and patients.
“We cannot continue to ignore the impacts that COVID is having on our healthcare system. There are so many unknowns with this virus each time it presents itself in a new variant. We must act now to protect our health service and the public at large ahead of the unknowns of autumn and winter.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated he cannot rule out the return of some restrictions this winter.
When asked if there could be a return of restrictions in the winter, he said: “I just can’t predict with certainty what will happen, all I can predict is uncertainty.
“I think that's why we're making sure we have legislation, contingency planning through legislation, that if we had to bring back mask mandates for public transport, or indeed for retail, that we would be in a position to do that quickly.
“But again, I think we've moved out of the emergency phase.
“All the public health advice is to vaccinate and to personal responsibility and people taking care is the best approach right now.”
The Fianna Fáil leader described the current Covid surge a “disruptive phase” and said Covid-19 is wreaking havoc on the health system and in the workplace while referencing flight cancellations by Aer Lingus in recent days.
He said: “So that is a concern that it remains a significant disruptive force in our society and in our community.”
Mr Martin also said he believes the “key weapon” in fighting Covid-19 in the autumn is a fourth Covid jab or a second booster for the wider population.
He also urged those who are immunocompromised to come forward for their booster shot.
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