NURSES FEAR WARD SWAPS SPREADING VIRUS
Whistleblowers say staff moves are putting patients at risk
NURSES in Scotland’s hospitals have revealed they fear that being moved between wards is spreading Covid-19 to non-infected patients.
They say they are made to stick to their own wards during outbreaks of winter
bugs but that these rules are not being enforced in hospitals with coronavirus.
It comes as figures show 901 patients have caught Covid-19 in hospital, with 218 dying of it.
NURSES working in Scottish hospitals fear being moved between wards could be helping the spread of coronavirus.
It comes after figures revealed 901 patients had caught Covid-19 in hospital, with 218 of them dying of the infection, despite having been in for a separate condition.
Nurses say they must stick to their own wards during outbreaks of winter vomiting bugs but they claim the same rules are not being enforced in hospitals with Covid-19.
Some have been moved from Covid wards to A&E in the same shift while others have been moved from surgical wards to Covid wards.
Now they fear staff movement could be the source of the problem.
One senior nurse at Gartnavel Hospital, Glasgow, said: “When there is an outbreak of winter vomiting virus, nurses have to stick to their own ward to prevent the infection spreading but there are not the same rules being applied to Covid.
“Staff are being moved between wards and the level of PPE is not all it should be.
“Infection control management are looking to blame staff for the disease spreading but we have patients who have been brought here from other hospitals and we are not convinced they have been swabbed properly to ensure they’re free of the virus.
“There are patients who are getting cancer surgeries but staff are still going to Covid wards and are told that’s OK so long as they don’t go back to their own ward that day.
“You have to question if that’s appropriate. It would not happen if there was a winter vomiting bug on a ward. There are so many unknown factors with this virus you’d think they’d want to be even more careful.
“There are some angry nurses here at the end of their tether yet management and infection control are blaming nurses for continued outbreaks. It is demoralising.
“They say the PPE is fine – that’s the standard statement from infection control, and the health board is not willing to deviate from that but the masks have gaps, the aprons are flimsy and we’ve nothing to cover our arms. It is different on the Covid wards but here we are leaning over patients, they are touching us while we help them and we have no way of knowing that they are Covid-free.”
The husband of a nurse “returner” is terrified his wife, other staff and patients are being put at risk from the movement between wards.
John Watson, 58, said: “My wife was a nurse for 39 years and retired in December but she went back to volunteer at Wishaw General on a Covid ward.
“She’s never been tested and was told she was not a priority because she only works part-time. My wife just gets on with it. She doesn’t want to stir the pot but I’m really worried about her. I love her and don’t want her to get this.
“I phoned the hospital last week and spoke to a senior staff nurse who told me they don’t automatically test nurses for Covid-19. It is only done if nurses request one or they show signs of symptoms.
“Nurses should be tested every week. The Government tests everyone over 70 every four days they are in hospital. If they can afford
to do that, they can afford to look after nurses.”
John added: “My wife’s been working on a Covid ward but her next two shifts are in a geriatric ward. How can they allow a nurse who has been working with Covid patients to go into a geriatric ward?
“Last week, she went from working in a Covid ward to A&E in the same shift.”
Mark Kennedy, NHS Lanarkshire general manager for Salus occupational health, said the health board takes its obligation to protect staff “very seriously”.
He added: “We’re focused on providing safe methods of working for all staff in line with national guidance, including providing PPE. NHS Lanarkshire continues to undertake testing of symptomatic healthcare workers and their symptomatic household members.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We’ve consistently followed national guidance on appropriate infection control precautions and ensured staff have appropriate PPE to wear.”
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Our hospitals have adopted particular zones to ensure the minimum transfer of the virus beween patients.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon added that she expected to “extend routine testing as we go through the next phase”.