Lismore Base Hospital elective surgeries return after Covid exposure

Elective surgeries have been reinstated after being cancelled when 41 theatre staff were placed in isolation.

Elective surgery at Lismore Base Hospital has returned to normal after a Covid exposure sent 41 theatre staff to self isolation.

Almost half of scheduled elective surgeries at Lismore Base Hospital were cancelled on Tuesday last week after the staff were told to self isolate.

Northern NSW Local Health District chief executive Wayne Jones said the medical workers had come into contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case.

“Affected staff members are now able to return to work, provided they have no symptoms of illness,” he said.

“We apologise to patients whose surgery was postponed, and will reschedule affected patients for their surgery as soon as possible.

“We thank our staff for their swift and professional actions in getting tested and isolating as requested.”

Mr Jones said emergency and urgent surgery continued normally.

He said the exposure did not occur in the hospital setting and, to that date, there was no indication of any transmission among hospital staff or at the health facility.

“Affected patients have been contacted and we apologise for this disruption,” he said.

“If you have not been contacted, there is no change to your planned surgery”.

Northern NSW Local Health District chief executive Wayne Jones.

The exposure came six days after an unrelated incident where 81 guests and staff were told to isolate for a week at Aquarius Backpackers in Byron Bay.

Some of them were transferred to a new facility with 17 motorhomes at the Lismore Showgrounds.

All of them were allowed leave on Wednesday last week.