The Covid-19 Omicron variant is “surging” and the worst of the pandemic is not over, the man in charge of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol Children’s Hospital and Weston General has warned.
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Trust (UHBW) chief executive Robert Woolley made an urgent appeal to the public to understand the severity of the pressure on the health and care service and to continue wearing face masks and practising social distancing. The plea comes despite the end of legal requirements and just as the council confirms free covid PCR and lateral flow testing has ended in Bristol.
Mr Woolley’s final UHBW board meeting before retirement, on Wednesday (March 30), was told that Omicron was still rising and was not likely to reach its peak until mid-April. Members heard the impact on staff wellbeing “cannot be underestimated” from a combination of high coronavirus patient numbers, including children, record demand on A&E, delayed discharges and sickness absence.
