Barnsley hospital staff “not offered routine covid tests,” claims union

The GMB says staff and patients that are being tested are waiting two days for results, which is causing “delays, infection control issues and further pressure on staffing levels”.

A commitee of MPs urged the government in October to routinely test NHS staff for Covid-19 to enable services to continue over winter.

A spokesperson for the hospital say that a national programme of asymptomatic testing is currently being deployed.

The union says the issues in Barnsley are not unique, and praised the “fantastic care” provided by staff in difficult conditions.

A nurse at the hospital spoke anonymously to ITV News earlier this week, and said he is “frustrated” that routine testing is not taking place.

He told ITV that more than 200 members of staff are off ill or isolating, and he fears there is not enough staff to provide safe care.

He says he was told by the hospital that any member of staff who has hada positive test in the past did not need to isolate again if they come into contact with someone who is infected, in an email that was later redacted.

GMB says it is also concerned that the hospital is not offering its own staff overtime, instead drafting in staff through NHS Providers.

Katherine Mitchell, GMB Organiser, said: “NHS staff at Barnsley Hospital – and across the region – are providing fantastic care in extraordinarily difficult circumstances at Barnsley Hospital.

“Staffing levels have been severely impacted by Covid-related absence and workers desperately need access to rapid regular testing.

“If extra staff are brought in through NHS Providers, they must need to be both FFP3 mask fit tested and Covid-19 tested to ensure they can carry out the full range of duties required.

“Meanwhile overtime should be offered and paid to those permanent staff willing and able to do it.

“GMB Union is calling on the Government and NHS Trust to get these measures in place urgently to support our health workers who are doing so much to care for us.”

A spokesperson from Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “Barnsley Hospital regularly communicates with staff about operational pressures which include how many staff are currently self-isolating due to Covid.

“These figures fluctuate daily but in general have consistently risen in line with increasing cases in the community. In hospitals throughout England, the Covid-19 pandemic is a fast-paced and ever-changing situation. Barnsley Hospital is no different and our internal communications reflect this.

“All patients are tested for Covid upon admission, and again after five days. We have seen recent increases in patients with positive results at day five, though as ONS and other data conclusively demonstrate, the root cause of rising Covid infections and hospitalisations are rising community transmission.

“Hospitals are asked to rigorously follow regularly updated guidance on infection prevention and control and unsurprisingly, nosocomial numbers have tended to track increases in local community prevalence.

“It is NHS Professionals who are the Trust’s contracted temporary workforce provider.”

Dr Stephanie Aiken, operational manager for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Yorkshire and the Humber, added: “Healthcare staff need priority access to testing and rapid delivery of results. Those working in the community and the care sector also need to have the same protection as their NHS colleagues.”