Staff who work for both Bristol’s hospitals and the city’s biggest care provider have been told they will not be allowed to hold Christmas parties at work because of the spiraling cases of Covid-19.
Staff who work for the North Bristol NHS Trust, UHBW Trust and Sirona Care & Health are also being asked to ‘think carefully’ before organising their own Christmas get-togethers outside of work.
The rule has come as the Omicron variant has seen the number of cases in some parts of Bristol triple in a week and the number of Covid patients in hospital in Bristol went over 100 for the first time in a couple of months.
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With politicians in Downing Street facing criticism for holding Christmas illegal parties at work during lockdown last year, staff at the two health trusts that run Southmead Hospital, the Bristol Royal Infirmary, the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, St Michael’s Hospital, Weston General and all the care workers employed by Sirona, have all been told there’ll be no Christmas parties this year for them.
Like many workforces, Christmas parties at hospitals usually take the form of a get-together in a staff room or an available space at work, but they are now banned.
In a joint statement from Sirona, the UHBW and North Bristol Trust, it was made clear to staff that this would not be happening. “In response to the continuing and increasing COVID-19 infection risk in social settings, staff at NBT, Sirona and UHBW have been asked not to hold staff social Christmas gatherings on site,” a spokesperson said.
And while bosses cannot stop staff getting together after work for a Christmas party at a bar or restaurant, they made it clear this was not being encouraged.
“We are also asking staff to think carefully before attending off-site social events and to continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask in enclosed settings and follow the national COVID-19 guidance to protect the health of staff and patients,” the spokesperson added.
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