Outpatient services temporarily curtailed at Nenagh Hospital

Outpatient services, including the Local Injuries Unit, have been temporarily stood down at Nenagh hospital, where as many as 75 members of staff were absent last week.

It is understood that the absences relate to staff with Covid-19 and those who are self-isolating as a result of displaying symptoms or being close contacts with confirmed cases. Doctors and nurses at the hospital attracted national attention last month when they took to social media to plead for vaccinations against the virus.

The HSE stated that just over half of the 300 staff employed at the hospital had been vaccinated by last Friday. UL Hospitals Group’s Hospital Crisis Management Team met on Saturday and resolved to temporarily stand-down outpatient clinics at the hospital in addition to the LIU and Medical Assessment Unit due to the number of staff currently on Covid-related leave.

In a statement, UL Hospitals Group said the move would minimise public footfall on the site. Any outpatient with an appointment at the hospital would be contacted and offered an alternative appointment elsewhere within UL Hospitals Group.

“The situation will be kept under review in the coming days,” the statement reads. “Until further notice, people requiring treatment for minor injuries are advised to attend Injury Units at Ennis hospital or St John’s, and, while the hospital’s MAU is closed, local GPs or out-of-hours doctors should instead refer appropriate patients to MAUs at Ennis and St John’s.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience to our local patients. As at all times, we have made this decision in the interests of the safety of our patients and staff, and of people scheduled to attend appointments in the coming days, as well as the broader population in North Tipperary and the Mid-West.”

Local GP Dr Pat Harrold said most cases of Covid-19 now being seen are coming from Nenagh hospital. “I think it was completely unfair to be asking people to see Covid patients when they haven't been vaccinated themselves,” Dr Harrold said of the hospital staff.

“It's terrible to see them all getting sick. They're absolute heroes. They've put themselves on the line.

“I think it's very shortsighted of the health system that so many people are out and I hope that they would be first and foremost for the vaccine.”

UL Hospitals Group said a total of 5,020 Pfizer BioNtech Dose 1 vaccinations have been delivered to healthcare workers, and the residents and staff of long-term residential care settings in the Mid-West since vaccination began on January 4th. This overall figure includes 3,781 Dose 1 vaccinations to frontline staff from University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, Ennis, Nenagh, Croom Orthopaedic, and St John’s. Staff prioritised by HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare and the National Ambulance Service have also been vaccinated, along with 1,239 doses to residents and staff of local long-term residential care.

Responding to questions on Nenagh hospital, UL Hospitals Group said 154 staff have been vaccinated, “based on the limited supply available to us”. The Group pointed out that all recipients of the first dose of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine require a second dose, administration of which commenced last week.

“We continue to issue as much vaccine as possible, in line with national guidance and based on availability of vaccine and clinical prioritisation. We recognise the anxiety experienced by unvaccinated staff across the Group during the current surge in Covid-19 activity, and we will extend the vaccination programme to additional staff across the group as soon as the national vaccine delivery schedule allows.

“This focus remains on vaccinating staff in high risk areas, or who are redeploying to support the opening of critical care surge capacity in UHL to care for the sickest Covid and non-Covid patients. We are deeply indebted to all of our staff for the enormous efforts they are making to keep patients safe.”

Meanwhile the HSE has confirmed that some 1,108 tests for Covid-19 were carried out at the North Tipperary Community Testing Centre in Nenagh between January 18th and 28th. The busiest day in that period was January 18th, when 174 tests were completed. A total of 1,199 appointments were planned in that period but 91 of these were missed.