Hospital staff raise concerns over tracker app policy
FRONTLINE workers in a busy operating theatre have raised concerns over the recent enforcement of a HSE policy that that asks staff to disable the Covid-19 tracking app while treating patients.
Over the past 10 days, three theatre staff at University Hospital Galway were notified through the app that they are close contacts of a positive Covid-19 case.
Their colleagues have now been informed by management they should turn off the app while at work, to avoid close contact alerts. This applies only to healthcare staff who use full PPE.
However, a staff member told the Irish Independent that theatre patients would never be a close contact because they never have their phones.
“The only close contact the app would detect would be among staff,” the staff member said.
“And what if one of us is alerted in the morning that we are a close contact of someone outside the hospital and we don’t see it for hours?
“If one of us is a close contact, then we should immediately leave work and isolate.
“It is impossible to avoid close contact with other staff when you take off your PPE.
“Theatre staff wear full PPE in the operating suites but not in the very crowded coffee room.
“It’s hard to understand the reasoning behind this – particularly now we have colleagues isolating.”
A spokesperson for university health care group Saolta confirmed the advice regarding disabling the app was issued centrally by the HSE last September.
“The recommendation from Public Health is that GPs and other healthcare workers involved in patient care should turn off the contact tracing feature in the app when they begin patient care, and importantly remember to switch it back on when you finish work at shift or session end,” the spokesperson said.
“This guidance only applies to staff who wear PPE when providing care to patients.”
Saolta did not reply when asked when this policy was reissued to theatre staff in UHG.