Elective surgery cancelled as hospital steps up coronavirus preparations
PREPARATIONS are being made at the hospital - including cancelling elective surgery from next week - to cope with any escalation in coronavirus cases.
Health and Social Care has outlined measures being taken this week, as well as what may be needed to cope with any spikes in demand, including using non-clinical or retired staff to support front line services.
'What we are managing is a threat on a global level, with the situation changing daily, if not hourly,' said HSC director of operations Matt Jones.
'Our local response will always seek to place our community and staff at the heart of all our decisions. We continue to prepare across all our teams and a lot of these plans exist in the hope that we never have to use them.'
Among the steps being taken this week are:
Changes to the Gloucester Room Restaurant at the PEH. The facility will continue to provide hot and cold food, but there will be restrictions introduced in the range of dishes available and a reduction in the usual on site seating. The PEH are asking users of the restaurant to ensure they have washed their hands in advance of their visit, use the onsite sanitizers provided, and ensure customers remain distanced from each other in queues for food and the tills. Food will be provided primarily for takeaway rather and only a handful of tables will be provided for those who have no option other than to eat at the Gloucester Room. The tables are intended for individual use. Food service for hospital in-patients will not be affected. Spare capacity generated by reducing the usual restaurant offering temporarily will be focused to manage the increasing demand being experienced by the meals on wheels service.
Visitor advice has changed. HSC say it would be appreciated if no more than one person visits any of the wards, and all visitors must ensure they wash their hands and use the sanitizers available at every ward entrance. Visitors are also asked to use technology options wherever possible, such as Skype, FaceTime or WhatsApp and make sure they do not visit at all if they are otherwise required to self-isolate as a result of advice from Public Health.
People are asked not to attend any scheduled appointment if Public Health advice requires them to self-isolate and specifically if they have any flu-like symptoms. Call the service in question for advice on rescheduling.
Elective surgery for the week beginning 23rd March has been postponed to allow HSC to train a range of staff to increase resilience in the provision of critical care. A further decision will be made after this week in terms of scheduling future electives. Islanders requiring urgent elective care or emergency care will not be affected as a result of this decision.
Plans that may need to be introduced in the future to cope with spikes in demand arising from COVID-19 include:
Wards in the PEH may need to be reconfigured to manage COVID-19 patients separately if this becomes necessary to do so.
Staff who are professionally registered but are not currently working in a clinical setting (for example working within governance or in a teaching/lecturing capacity) may be asked to support front line services. This response may also need to include recently retired healthcare professionals and will also involve additional agency staff.
If there are any retired nurses/midwives or allied health professionals on island who would wish to support the services during this evolving situation they could contact Human Resources.
