17,000 Of Warns 19 Potential Hospitalisations For Covid With Hse 'uncertain' Winter

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Tue, 11 Oct, 2022 - 20:30

Niamh Griffin Health Correspondent

The HSE has warned of the possibility of at least 2,900 patients hospitalised with flu and 17,000 with Covid-19 as they prepare for another “uncertain” and “very difficult” winter.

Funding of €169m has been set aside for a Winter Plan, but the chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said even this focus cannot guarantee that we will not see elderly people on trolleys in January.

A key part of plan is boosting services outside of hospitals to help prevent serious injuries or worsening illness among older people.

However, Dr Henry said he could not give any assurances around trolley numbers.

We know as people age they are more likely to be admitted, and therefore more likely, if there is a case of difficulty accessing a hospital bed, more likely to have protracted stay in the emergency department,” he said.

“What I can say is that we are trying to build a system that just doesn’t rely on admission to hospital beds as we are doing, but is trying, above all else, to provide alternatives to presentation to an emergency department.”

'Twin-demic'

He said the months ahead are uncertain, with the potential for a ‘twin-demic’ of Covid and influenza cases still there.

“In the worst-case scenario we would see a huge increase in the number of influenza cases, with hospitalisation of vulnerable groups, with low uptake of vaccine, and similarly we would see people again succumb to a re-infection,” he said.

He urged people to get the flu vaccine and Covid-19 boosters.

The plan includes €20m for older-people services and €2.04m for Community Intervention Teams nationally.

The HSE plans to keep PCR testing limited to six groups, said the Covid-19 test, trace, and vaccination programme lead Eileen Whelan.

They are currently doing 4,000 tests weekly, this can be increased gradually up to 45,000 depending on demand by working with the National Ambulance Service.

‘Pathfinder’ programmes

In hospitals, waiting lists and overcrowding remain the challenges, according to national director for acute operations Mary Day.

Patients will be offered better access to scans outside of hospitals to reduce the numbers attending. Ambulance ‘pathfinder’ programmes will offer treatment at home to older people, with the Limerick programme now set to open on October 23.

Helath Minister Stephen Donnelly has warned of an increase in Covid cases. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Speaking on Tuesday, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly warned: “We have seen a very significant increase in Covid-hospitalisations over the last week.

We know we are facing into a very difficult winter.”

The plan includes funding for 608 staff as well as for nurses and emergency department consultants.

Unions representing hospital consultants and nurses warned it can take months to recruit staff, and called for a streamlining of the hiring processes to address this crisis.

The plan also includes €2.1m for communication campaigns.