More nurses on the way to clear PEH backlogs
GUERNSEY’S main critical care unit at the hospital is facing ongoing significant pressure and will need to rely on extra temporary and agency staff this spring, a Health & Social Care spokeswoman has said.
The committee has already acknowledged the impact of the Covid pandemic on health services, with longer waiting times for several treatments and operations.
HSC president Al Brouard told the States before Christmas that staff numbers would be boosted at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital during the winter to address the backlog.
An HSC spokeswoman said that since then five additional agency staff have been sought for intensive and high dependency care in the CCU and the Covid unit.
‘Services have continued to experience high levels of pressure during the Omicron wave of Covid,’ she said.
‘The main critical care unit remains under significant pressure and this is likely to continue... we will continue to rely on additional temporary and agency staffing at least through the first quarter of 2022 as plans are developed for an international recruitment campaign as Covid restrictions are lifted globally.’
In December Deputy Brouard said there were plenty of surgeons and associated staff ready and willing to carry out the surgery, but simply not enough beds.
He described the presence of 30 patients awaiting discharge from the PEH as one of the urgent problems that needed to be addressed to get on top of the growing backlog for surgical procedures.
The spokeswoman said the situation had not improved since then.
‘Delayed transfers of care now account for 29 beds being occupied [mainly on Giffard Ward] so these numbers remain fairly static, but do impact on our capacity to operate efficiently especially in respect of elective surgery,’ she said.
‘In general terms, recruitment is challenging for HSC as it is nationally and globally. Some areas, such as social work, are experiencing national shortages and high vacancy levels with candidates being in high demand due to their skills.
‘The position locally is made even more difficult by the lack of rental accommodation and the price of accommodation that is available.’
The spokeswoman said it was grateful to the work done by HSC staff, who have been working in new ways and in new areas to support each other during the latest Covid wave.
‘Their support has been invaluable.’
