Staff give up hols to aid Covid crisis
Health boss on state of our hospitals:
THE medical director of a major south Wales health board has outlined the extreme pressures facing its hospitals over the festive period.
Dr Nick Lyons, medical director of Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, confirmed there were now as many as 618 confirmed, suspected or recovering coronavirus patients at its three main hospital sites – Prince Charles, the Royal Glamorgan and Princess of Wales – and Ysbyty’r Seren field hospital.
Around 40% of all NHS patients currently being looked after in the region, which covers the local authorities of Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT), Bridgend and Merthyr Tydfil, are being treated for the virus.
He yesterday said Covid-19 intensive care capacity was now full across all three hospitals, which means some patients are having to be transferred to other units across south Wales, including the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff and the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran.
“Over the Christmas period some staff volunteered to come back from their leave in order to manage those transfers safely. Transferring seriously unwell patients by ambulance to another hospital takes a lot of doing,” said Dr Lyons.
“We work very closely and effectively with our neighbouring health boards.
“We are each managing our own issues but I think we have to remember that our local communities in Cwm Taf Morgannwg have been some of the most challenged during this current crisis and Merthyr is still one of the highest – if not the highest – area in the UK in terms of coronavirus prevalence in the community.
“So perhaps it’s not surprising that we’ve come under particular pressure over the last few days.”
Just before the Christmas holidays Dr Lyons said around 12% of all Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB staff were absent either due to selfisolation, contracting the virus themselves or having other illnesses.
“That’s significantly higher than it normally would be.
“The goodwill and the amazing commitment of our staff giving up their holidays, their leave, and coming back for extra shifts has enabled us to continue to deliver care as we would want to,” he added.
“I’m constantly inspired, awed, and humbled by our staff.
“Touring the sites over the Christmas holiday, I’ve seen tears, I’ve seen people overwhelmed by the size of the task, but above all I’ve seen the commitment to their patients and to each other.
“They have gone beyond what’s reasonable to ask of them.”
Despite its intensive care units struggling to offer one-to-one care to some patients in accordance with NHS guidelines, Dr Lyons reassured the public that those who were deeply unwell were in safe hands.
“We have had to deliver care in different ways at times using different ratios of staff and at times managing patients on wards where otherwise we might have wanted to admit them to ITU for observation,” he said.
“But the most unwell patients have always received the very best intensive care and will continue to do so.”
Dr Lyons admitted Ysbyty’r Seren field hospital in Bridgend, which
is treating those recovering from the effects of Covid-19, is already “very close” to being unable to take on new patients due to staffing problems.
He said the temporary hospital is in urgent need of more healthcare support workers to come forward and fill the void.
“We have received a variety of offers of help and they’re all hugely appreciated.
“We have received some of that very specialist, intensivist senior doctor care from around the country,” he said.
“But it’s healthcare support workers, with a different set of qualifications, who are so important to delivering care and that’s perhaps what we’re most in need of in terms of staffing Ysbyty’r Seren.”
Dr Lyons said those who are most unwell will continue to receive specialist treatment from expert clinicians at the health board’s main hospital sites.
But he also called on members of the public to provide help with the swift discharge of patients who were fit and ready to leave hospital.
“We are seeing within social care and our communities a large amount of sickness and if people can take their relative home safely – even if the perfect package of care isn’t yet available – then the more patients we can discharge from our hospitals to home,” he said.
“With our social care and local authority colleagues, we want to do everything we can to support people but we might not have everything in place.
“So where families can, we are really grateful if you can facilitate the discharge of patients in order to give us that valuable hospital space.”
Earlier this month the health board took the decision to suspend all non-urgent appointments and procedures to concentrate resources on frontline care.
Dr Lyons admitted this was a “tough decision” but one which had to be made to stop the health service from being overwhelmed.
“It has enabled us to free staff up to look after patients on the wards with Covid and other urgent problems but my heart goes out to the patients expecting surgery and are now just waiting for it.”
He concluded if we all “follow the spirit” of the latest lockdown rules for Wales, which require people to stay at home wherever possible and for all non-essential businesses to close, it will reduce demand currently facing the NHS.
“This is certainly the toughest time in my professional career, with some of the most difficult decisions we’ve ever had to make.
“As we’ve learnt more about Covid, you realise how complex a disease it is,” he said.
“Although older people and those already ill may be more prone to catching the virus and suffer severe illness, sadly, I’ve spoken to the relatives of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s who have died, many of whom had no pre-existing medical conditions.
“It’s an absolutely tragic disease which causes death where one would least expect it and the long-term impact of ‘long Covid’ on people who have never been ill before is absolutely heartbreaking.”
■ If you feel unwell you can visit NHS 111 Wales online or contact your local community pharmacist. If necessary you can also contact your local GP. Please only call 999 or attend the emergency department for life-threatening symptoms.