Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Doctors' union doesn't share Ashley Bloomfield's optimism over hospital capacity

Stephen Forbes, Local Democracy Reporter

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) has hit out at comments by the director general of health Ashley Bloomfield that Middlemore Hospital has the capacity and staff to cope with the recent surge in Omicron cases.

Executive director Sarah Dalton says the health system is already stretched and the latest outbreak is creating havoc for those on the frontline.

During Tuesday's 1pm Covid-19 update Bloomfield said 15 to 20 per cent of Middlemore Hospital's staff were off work because they had tested positive for Covid-19, were household contacts, or they were looking after others at home who had the virus.

But he was confident the hospital would cope, despite the loss of frontline staff.

"We've prepared for this," Bloomfield said. "I think what I would say is DHBs have planned for and have plans in place to manage this.

"What we know is it will be particularly acute at this point in the outbreak and over the next week or two."

But Dalton doesn't share Bloomfield's confidence.

"I think the director general of health is being extremely optimistic," she said. "The Auckland metropolitan hospitals have been slammed by this.

"There's no doubt they are struggling. There's been a significant staffing shortfall in our hospitals for years now and there's no fat in the system to deal with a surge like Omicron."

Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / Supplied

Last month the New Zealand Nurses Organisation's (NZNO) manager of industrial services, Glenda Alexander, said while most DHBs had contingency plans to deal with losing staff due to Omicron, the existing workforce was already stretched.

"So if we lost, for instance, 25 per cent of our workforce it's going to put enormous pressure on hospitals," Alexander said.

"And even if Omicron does have much less of an impact than we think, it will impact on the health system because of understaffing which has been an ongoing issue for years. We just don't have the capacity in the system, so it could be a real challenge."

In a statement on Friday, a Counties Manukau Health spokeswoman would not provide more up-to-date figures on how many staff were off work due to Covid.

But she said media reports from earlier this week that up to 800 Counties Manukau Health staff were off work due to Covid-19 were incorrect.

"The number of staff away from work fluctuates in real-time and we do not have the data readily available to provide the detail you are requesting without substantial collation," she said.

"For these reasons, we will not be releasing in any statements the percentage of workforce absenteeism rates or absolute numbers of staff sick or away from work for Covid-related reasons."

The spokeswoman said it manages staffing levels constantly and monitors the capacity and demand for its services.

"The metropolitan Auckland DHBs support each other to manage bed capacity across the region, including ICU and HDU," she said.

"Capacity planning is regionally coordinated. Should you require further detail please submit an OIA."