Merseyside hospitals draw up emergency plans amid concerns over staff isolation
The British Medical Association is warning up to 50,000 doctors, nurses and other NHS staff in England could be off sick with Covid by Christmas Day
Last updated 21st Dec 2021
As Omicron continues to spread, Hospitals on Merseyside are drawing up emergency plans to deal with an expected increase in staff needing to self isolate.
The British Medical Association is warning up to 50,000 doctors, nurses and other NHS staff in England could be off sick with Covid by Christmas Day, if the Government fails to introduce any further measures to stop the spread.
Dr Nikki Stevenson is Medical Director at Arrowe Park, she says they're constantly reviewing the situation :
"Staffing is our biggest worry. Trying to make sure we've got sufficient staff is one of our main areas of focus so keeping an eye on how Omicron develops in the region, we've got escalation plans in place.
"We are reviewing constantly who needs to be seen and in what order and acknowledging the strain that puts on people who are waiting.
"Escalation plans are If we need to create more covid capacity or stop more non-routine work and how can we redeploy staff to make sure patients who require acute care can still be cared for".