Dozens infected by outbreak at Bangor hospital

DOZENS of patients have been infected with coronavirus following an outbreak at a hospital in Bangor.

The outbreak, reported at Ysbyty Gwynedd, has spread among patients at five adult wards and 49 people are being treated for coronavirus.

Most elective surgery appointments at the hospital have had to be postponed while medics and infection control teams concentrate on the incident.

Dr Claire Kilduff, lead consultant in respiratory medicine at Ysbyty Gwynedd, said the outbreak had left staff “incredibly upset”.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales yesterday, Dr Kilduff said: “This has obviously been one of the most challenging couple of weeks for the hospital site as a whole, certainly during the last 12 months.

“Our absolute priority here is now to stamp out these outbreaks as they occur and to support the patients affected.

“There’s a programme of mass testing being undertaken throughout the hospital for asymptomatic patients and staff to actively try and find patients who are testing positive and staff.”

She said the outbreak had not yet seen an increase in patients being placed in intensive care.

“Critical care cases are falling in Ysbyty Gwynedd as in every other part of Wales,” she added.

“Admission rates are falling in this hospital as well as every other hospital in Wales.

“At the moment we’re not seeing a reflection in critical care numbers from this current outbreak but we are in the eye of the storm, and it’s early days.”

She concluded: “Our priority here is to support the patients and our hearts completely go out to the patients affected and their families, but the staff are incredibly upset that this has happened at all, let alone after the 12 months of what’s been a hard slog for what everybody’s been through.”

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said on Thursday that most elective surgery appointments for this week and next were being postponed due to the outbreak. However, emergency surgery, diagnostic services, oncology and outpatient appointments will continue.

According to the latest figures from Public Health Wales, around 7% of all positive cases reported in the last week were either probably or definitely contracted in Welsh hospitals. That’s the highest percentage since August.