An NHS Lanarkshire chief has admitted the health board continues to face “staffing challenges” as it battles against Omicron.
Lanarkshire Live can reveal that COVID-related absence figures for week beginning December 6 accounted for almost two per cent of all health board staff.
That’s around 230 of an approximately 12,000 workforce.
Around 2.5 per cent of nursing and midwifery staff were absent that week, while 1.2 per cent of the medical and dental workforce were off.
Judith Park, NHS Lanarkshire director of acute services, told us : “The Omicron variant is having a negative impact on many of our services and this pressure is likely to increase in the coming weeks.
“We continue to face staffing challenges across health services. We are deploying staff from other areas to ensure our services can deliver effective patient care.
“We have taken down some elective lists in some specialties due to staff absences in those teams.
“We are asking staff and the public to pay particular attention to staying COVID-19 safe during the Christmas and New Year festive season by following national guidance.
“We also urge the people of Lanarkshire to access the right care at the right place and keep emergency departments free for those with emergency care needs.”
Earlier this month, Lanarkshire Live reported that more than 100 members of staff in the region across Lanarkshire’s three acute hospitals were self-isolating having either tested positive for COVID or been in contact with someone who has.
One source said the hospitals are now in “crisis mode”.
At that time, an NHS Lanarkshire spokesman refused to confirm how many staff were currently isolating, however, a source told us the figures were “not inaccurate”.
Russell Coulthard, NHS Lanarkshire deputy director of acute services, confirmed a number of staff had tested positive and were isolating.
Staff have been asked to pay particular attention to staying “COVID safe” during the festive season.
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