Hospital looks into mask use

An investigation is under way at Hutt Hospital after two staff in the paediatrics wing allegedly told a man the reason they weren’t wearing masks correctly was because their manager had told them they didn’t have to.

Jay Waters took a child to the paediatric outpatients department on Monday last week and said he saw one of the two women behind the reception desk wearing a mask pulled down under her nose, ‘‘the other person was wearing a mask below their chin’’.

Hutt Valley District Health Board policy states anyone who enters the hospital must wear medical grade or surgical masks, which includes staff.

The receptionists were behind a bank teller-type screen, which had holes in it and a gap of about 5 centimetres at the bottom, Waters said, leaving him concerned about the risk of transmission, particularly as the highly infectious Omicron variant had been detected in Hutt Valley. When he asked why they weren’t wearing masks, ‘‘they said ‘our manager said we don’t have to’ ’’, Waters claimed.

It was not the first time infection prevention control issues had been in the spotlight at Hutt Hospital since the pandemic began. In November, a former senior nurse claimed a patient awaiting Covid19 test results during the Delta outbreak was put on a shared ward in the burns unit – a claim rejected by the DHB.

Staff should be role models, Waters said. ‘‘If they are turning their nose up at the rules, what message does that send?’’

Chief executive Fionnagh Dougan said the DHB was investigating and had reminded staff to follow infection prevention control guidelines: ‘‘The DHB is very concerned to hear of this incident and is investigating ... If we find correct practices are not being followed, we take action immediately.

‘‘At work, all staff should be wearing well-fitting surgical masks over their mouth and nose when in the hospital or community bases.’’

‘‘If they [staff] are turning their nose up at the rules, what message does that send?’’ Jay Waters