Covid: 'Significant absences' as Newcastle hospital staff self-isolate

Staff absences are causing pressure across the trust

A rise in staff self-isolating because of coronavirus is causing "significant absences" in Newcastle hospitals.

It is understood hundreds of staff at the Freeman Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary have been unable to come to work because of the virus.

The government says the NHS Covid-19 app could be changed so fewer users are "pinged" as lockdown measures ease.

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust's chief executive said many staff had been told by the app to self-isolate.

In a blog post Dame Jackie Daniel said the number of emergency admissions was at "unprecedented levels" and the situation was worsened by the number of staff off work.

"This has created significant absences and therefore pressures on all of our teams across the organisation," she said.

The hospitals trust confirmed rising cases had led to more staff having to self-isolate, either because they had the virus, had been identified as a contact or had to look after children sent home from school.

But it refused to confirm how many were currently absent, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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The trust had 39 patients with Covid, with six needing mechanical ventilation, and the number was increasing, Dame Jackie said.

The vaccination programme had reduced the severity of infections and admissions were rising less quickly than in previous waves, but some patients in intensive care were still severely ill, she said.

Case rates in the North East are still increasing with Newcastle's at 782.3 per 100,000 people.

Seven local authority areas in the region are among the 10 worst affected nationally.

South Tyneside's rate of 1093.6 per 100,000 made it the first to record a rate higher than 1,000 per 100,000 since 18 January.