Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MASK MISFIT BOTCH UP
14 staff in one Trust get bug Health chiefs quizzed by MLAS
FOURTEEN staff at a Northern Ireland health trust contracted Covid-19 having been incorrectly fitted for a protective mask.
The chief executive of the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust said it was working on the assumption they could have contracted the bug as a result of their failed FFP3 coverings.
Seamus Mcgoran told the Assembly’s health committee yesterday all affected staff had recovered from the virus and were back at work.
Chief nursing officer Charlotte Mcardle later told committee members none of the other four trusts in the region had recorded Covid-19 infections among staff who required refitting for FFP3 masks.
The Mirror revealed in June an investigation was under way to trace every healthcare worker in Northern Ireland fitted with Covid-19 respiratory masks by one company which had not applied UK requirements.
The move came after a staff member uncovered a serious error in the fitting of the coverings.
Each of the five health care trusts was affected by the review, including staff in hospitals, GP surgeries and some nursing and care homes.
Rodney Morton, director of nursing, midwifery and allied professionals in the Public Health Agency, described the situation as “concerning”. He said at the time:
“We have to have confidence in the PPE and the fitting of that PPE.
“The respiratory masks we’re talking about are those used in high risk, high aerosol areas and a proper fit is crucial.”
Mr Mcgoran was one of three trust chiefs questioned about the audit during their appearance before committee members. Sinn Fein MLA
Pat Sheehan said 3,000 of 37,000 fit testing certificates issued had been identified as needing a refit.
Mr Mcgoran revealed 464 staff in his trust required a refit and added: “Virtually all of those have been retested for an alternative mask and are working with that mask.
“Out of that number actually we had 14 staff who had contracted
Covid-19. One of the challenges for us is to try and understand the extent that related to the wearing of masks in the workplace or whether it was in respect of something else.
“We’re taking the view we have to make assumptions that it could well have been in respect of their failed mask.
“So we’re working with the staff there, they’ve all had support from their managers, from occupational health, from psychology services, the staff are very happy and those who have contracted Covid-19 have recovered and are back at work.” The Western Trust’s Dr Anne
Kilgallen said around 500 staff in her organisation required a retest and added: “There was no instance of infection.” Northern Trust chief Jennifer Welsh added around 200 staff required a retest and she was not aware of any having contracted the bug.
Mr Sheehan asked Ms Mcardle why the risk to staff had been assessed as low.
She replied: “The mask provided some coverage, it just didn’t provide the tight seal.
“It’s my understanding, and this is a complicated process, that there are various steps in the process of fit testing – up to, I think, seven steps.
“And the majority of staff would have passed elements of the seven but not all seven steps, which meant that they did have some protection from the mask.”