Minister publishes plan for rebuilding health service over next three months

Health Minister Robin Swann has published a plan to rebuild the health service.

The Health Minister has published a plan for rebuilding the health service over the next three months, which also reveals more about the impact coronavirus is having on the service and its staff.

The plan sets out to rebuild the services which have been put on hold or reduced to deal with the impact of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.

The Department is working on the assumption that it will be able to carry out the plan providing there is no second surge of the virus before the end of September.

It does flag concerns about the supply of a particular kind of PPE mask for health workers, used in intensive care units, stating that "supply is currently uncertain beyond the end of August".

The document also highlights the impact of coronavirus on health workers themselves.

Between 10-15% of health staff off work due to illness or shielding, which is double the absent level before Covid-19. It confirms that just under 2,500 health care workers across all the trusts here are shielding.

  • 2,417 health care workers are shielding in Northern Ireland

The document also reveals that health staff were absent for an extra 58,000 hours during April 2020 compared to March and the absence was linked to mental health concerns.

The Health Minister states in the plan that he is in no doubt of the impact on health workers and notes that many have not taken any leave since the pandemic hit and will need to over the next few months.

The Minister is also clear in the document of the impact on the entire health system here warning anyone waiting for treatment that there is "a need to prioritise services given the significant constraints that our health and social care services continue to face."

The plan also sets out efforts to increase virtual consultations, to reduce face-to-face contact between patients and doctors and also lists plans for each Trust area.

The temporary closure of the A&E department at Daisy Hill hospital in Newry during the surge of the virus was one of the actions taken which caused controversy.

The plan for the next three months says a working group will consider the reopening of the department by the end of September.

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