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THE HSE HAS said preparations are underway for the “highest pressure on the State’s health service that has ever been seen” due to the surge in winter virus infections.
It comes as the Executive has expressed concern that it expects to see over 900 patients in hospital with flu in the first week in January, while a higher number of hospitalisations have occurred than had been anticipated in its “more pessimistic projections”.
With those numbers expected to continue to rise rapidly in the coming few weeks, it has established a National Crisis Management Team (NCMT) to oversee the health service for the surge.
This group, composed of senior health service leadership including representatives of hospital groups and community healthcare organisations, has met twice this week and intends to operate throughout the Christmas period.
Yesterday, the Chief Medical Officer Prof Breda Smyth urged the public to stay at home if they develop Covid-19 or flu-like symptoms in the run-up to Christmas Day, as Covid-19 cases began to mount.
As of 8am today, there were 656 people in hospital with Covid-19, 26 of whom are confirmed cases in ICU.
There are approximately 1,200 people currently hospitalised with respiratory conditions.
“This surge in respiratory illnesses will seriously impact our hospitals and Emergency Departments, and will place primary care services such as GP and GP out-of-hours services under further pressure,” the HSE warned, while its chief executive similarly warned of the demand that is set to hit the health service.
“It is now looking increasingly likely that we will see the demand for health services rising well above anything we have seen before,” Stephen Mulvany said in a statement released this evening.
“It is therefore critical that we continue to prepare to the maximum level possible for the projected further surge in demand for services in late December and early January – over and above the current high level of demand.
“We are working to ensure that every available resource is mobilised and utilised to respond to the needs of our patients who are seeking urgent and emergency care.”
Mulvaney urged all who are eligible for and due to be vaccinated to do so as soon as possible.
“Our services around the country have made and are implementing plans to address the forthcoming pressure,” he added. “The role of the NCMT will be to give them support and to provide national overview and action when appropriate.”
Mulvaney said that over the coming period the HSE’s senior leaders will visit hospitals and other healthcare sites around the country “to see and understand the situation at first hand and to offer support.”
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A properly functioning health service would handle those numbers with ease. Nothing has been learned or changed for years.
Another crisis management team for a situation that was anticipated. Why are we paying HSE management high wages when they’re not managing?
A lot of people getting flu and viruses during the winter. Imagine that. How could anyone in the HSE have foreseen such an unexpected event.
It is really very hard to know how this will pan out. The priority must be for saving lives. Would other measures slow the spread? Complaining about the health services and governments and political parties and policies will serve no function in dealing with the issues over the coming days and weeks. Staying at home if you have the flu or covid or other respiratory illnesses will help,nas will being careful with hygiene and all the other things we did when covid was a high risk. Many people with respiratory illness experience mild symptoms and therefore it is tempting to think they are not serious, but it could affect others, and more vulnerable, and people are still dying of respiratory illness. Blame who you like but remember to also act responsibly and help reduce transmission.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: think people have been doing their bit, now time for the powers that be to do theirs!!!
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: yes I agree that wearing masks helps and yet I seen to be the only one wearing a mask in my local shopping centre. People coughing and not covering the cough and I don’t understand. I have tested positive on Monday for covid and my friend called and she was coughing and I was worried. A few days later I tested positive…I’m praying for a negative test by Christmas day…
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: there’s nothing particularly difficult to know about how things will pan out. each of the three viral infections are entirely predictable. given the high levels of covid vaccination, there will not be a massive wave of covid and there will be low numbers who will die from covid given how protective the vaccine(s) are. The numbers of influenza will be higher than 2020 and 2021, but given the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, the numbers should be no worse than the years prior to covid pandemic. the numbers of adults with RSV requiring hospitalisation will be low. obviously the social mixing in poorly ventilated settings over christmas will increase the numbers as it always has done with influenza every year. indeed given teh knowledge and use of masks etc since the pandemic means probably lower numbers overall. would appear that the HSE is being somewhat ‘pessimistic’ and exaggerating the situation for obvious reasons.
@Damien Leen: i agree that the powers that be need to do their bit and we seem to be lacking on scaling up (not just the HSE but many aspects of Irish society are not future proofed), but I am asking how do we get through the next few weeks and blaming one group or another will not change the short term outcome
@Veronica Conway: I hope you are ok for Christmas and the symptoms are not bad. We are all fed up with COVID but a few simple things can make all our lives (and that of hospital staff) easier
@Cathal O’sullivan: I think and hope they are pessimistic in their predictions – I was thinking of any fall out from office parties and visiting family and friends over the next 10 days
@Veronica Conway: So you are almost the only one wearing a mask in the shopping centre and yet you still tested positive, what does that tell you??
Ray Charles could have seen that coming
It shouldn’t be a warning. But I suppose because we no longer have a public health emergency team the pre existing experts in the hse and government didn’t see it coming! We only had the last 3 years to prepare! Blame no one but our gov. The hse may be a shamble but our gov allow it to continue to be a shambles. They need to do something about it if the hse isn’t fit for purpose.
The scaremongering narrative of journalism is a disgrace. Viruses kill every year.
@Roibeard Ó Riain: True, though this year it seems to be far worse. I don’t know why but being close with the ambulance service, in the last week I have heard of ambulances from neighbouring counties being despatched to cardiac arrests, ambulances not being assigned to suspected strokes for hours and a seizure case taking more than six hours for an ambulance to be assigned. I’ve never seen it so bad.
Always remember enda kenny promising to sort out HSE.james Reilly was talking about dismantling HSE.seems HSE have learned nothing since covid.when will we ever the end of covid.
Winter viruses go back to the dark ages, as with most industries, health care should be prepared for something that is an annual occurrence.
All the HSE want to do is cut back on service’s and close Hospitals Navan for example
Same story as every year. The only thing what will come out of it: more bonusses cor the bosses
They blamed Mary Harney back years ago now all they seem to do is waste money on management committee and inquirys
It’s pure and utter shameful the way the health service is run in this country and yet these politicians stand up day after day defending themselves and telling people what a great job there doing it beggars believe
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