Large number of staff unavailable for work due to Covid at Dublin Midlands Hospital Group including Kildare's Naas Hospital

A large number of staff was unavailable for work this week at the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group which includes Naas Hospital.

The Dublin Midlands Hospital Group is made up of Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore, Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise, St James's Hosptial, Naas General Hospital, The Coombe and Tallaght University Hospital.

A spokesperson for the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group said that all hospitals are currently impacted and have staff who are unable to work due to Covid-19 and this has been the case since the beginning of the pandemic.

The spokesperson confirmed that on Tuesday, January 4 there was approximately 900 staff across the group who were unable to work due to Covid-19

They added that the number of staff available at any one time is a day to day management consideration and the number of staff available changes on an ongoing basis. 

The spokesperson said that hospital management are implementing contingency plans informed by the national guidance which provide for reduced activity, redeployment, overtime and derogations as agreed nationally in order to manage patient care at this time.

According to the latest figures from the HSE, there are 16 patients in Tullamore Hospital with confirmed cases of Covid-19. Of those patients, one is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

The hospital is also at full capacity with no available general beds and just one available bed in ICU.