Mammoth efforts to protect hospital  staff and patients

Mammoth efforts to protect hospital staff and patients

By Mary Dennehy

THIS week Tallaght University Hospital continues with its ‘mammoth’ efforts to protect and care for its patients by temporarily moving its oncology day ward offsite.

In recent weeks, the local hospital has engaged in numerous innovative and patient-focused initiatives to continue delivering care, support and reassurance to patients amid the Covid-19 crisis.

TUH Oncology Russell building compressor

Tallaght University Hospital oncology staff

One of the most significant moves for the hospital in the last few days was the move of the oncology day ward offsite to the fifth floor of the Russell building.

This space is normally occupied by Trinity College Dublin Institute of Population Health.

A Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) spokesperson said: “The team work required to move such an important service in such a short period of time was a mammoth task and involved many disciplines across the hospital.

“[These disciplines included] Facilities and Estates Management, Nursing, Pharmacy and ICT and of course Trinity to make the space available.

“This was an important move for this group of vulnerable patients enabling their treatment to continue uninterrupted and is another example of the hospital and its staff finding ways to provide important healthcare during this pandemic.”

As all staff within TUH come together in support of its patients and the wider community, they ask that we all stay home and continue following Government guidelines.

Commenting on recent developments by services across the hospital, Chief Executive Lucy Nugent said: “Over the years we have dealt with challenges such as extreme weather events and infectious illnesses but they were short term events.

“Covid-19 is going to need a long term consistent response from hospital staff but also our local community.

“I appreciate how challenging restricted movement is for people and being cocooned is not something that comes naturally to us.

“We hope the efforts we are making as a community and a country will ‘flatten the curve’ sufficiently to enable the hospital to manage the demands made of us all.

“As we approach the long weekend I understand the weather forecast looks good but I appeal to everyone to continue to observe the government’s guidance, observe social distancing and not to socialise beyond the people they are living with.

“This pandemic will end and until it does we all need to play our part so when it ends we will be able to return to normal life.”

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