Nepean Hospital staff say they are at breaking point during Covid-19 pandemic

Staff at Nepean Hospital say they are at “breaking point” as many of them are allegedly forced to keep working despite being in contact with positive Covid-19 cases.

Nepean Hospital medical and nursing staff claim they are being forced to work in “dangerous” conditions after being exposed to Covid cases and identified as close contacts.

Two surgical registrars and anaesthetic and recovery staff were exposed to a positive Covid case in theatre last Tuesday, but did not find out until Saturday. The exposed staff have not been isolating.

There are currently 36 patients with Covid-19 in Nepean Hospital, 11 of whom tested positive during their hospital stay.

The Daily Telegraph has seen communication between affected staff and managers with one of the registrars exposed stating on Sunday he had only been “just informed” and “classified as a secondary cost contact. According to the healthcare worker matrix I’m classified as high risk as I didn’t have any PPE on around the colleague as we got ready to go home.”

A doctor who works at Nepean spoke to the Daily Telegraph on condition of anonymity about the case.

Nepean Hospital in Kingswood, where staff are being forced to work despite being exposed to Covid cases. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“One anaesthetist was in a theatre on Friday when two registrars were talking that they had been exposed to a Covid positive patient on Tuesday in the surgical department. They weren’t isolated,” the doctor said.

“There’s been a complete lack of recognition of the risk of Covid exposure threat within the hospital.

“It’s dangerous, Nepean Hospital is at breaking point in regards to trying to control Covid spread throughout the ward and staff. There are four wards shut down now.”

Investigations into how the 11 cases contracted Covid in the hospital are underway. Four staff members have tested positive, two of whom were fully vaccinated.

“Staff who are contacts of the patients who tested positive in hospital have been asked to get tested and are currently isolating,” Nepean Hospital said in a media statement, but medical staff who have been exposed have continued to work the doctor told the Daily Telegraph.

“The registrars were advised to get a Covid test daily for five days and wear N95 mask and eye protection, but no specific order to isolate was given,” the doctor said.

Nepean Hospital is currently swabbing E block, the orthopaedic and surgical ward due to the exposure the source said.

On a group chat discussing the case, which has been viewed by the Daily Telegraph, staff expressed their concern

“It’s dangerous. The next two weeks will bear the consequences of these decisions,” one wrote.

One manger admitted “The ID team are struggling to keep up with their workload.”

Staff at Nepean hospital say they are at breaking point over Covid. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“They operated on a Covid positive patient on Tuesday. They are to keep working but have daily PCR test for the next five days. No formal tracing of recovery staff who dealt with this patient. There are so many possible negative outcomes,” another wrote back.

Staff also said the hospital was pressuring them to continue with surgical procedures without knowing the Covid status of the patients.

“There are patients not getting fully swabbed to come into theatres,” the doctor said.

“The hospital was very keen for us to continue without the tests saying we had PPE on, but we said it’s not just exposure to us, it is everyone in that theatre and in the waiting area.”