Risks added to Tallaght Hospital register due to Covid-19 pandemic

A total of five Covid-19-related risks have been added to the Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) risk register for this year, including “reliance on paediatric hospital infrastructure”, this newspaper has been told.

The issue of this year’s risk register was discussed at the May meeting of the hospital board. According to the minutes of the meeting, a review of the register that was due to take place in March was deferred because of the pandemic.

A hospital spokesperson told the Medical Independent (MI) that the review has since taken place and nine risks “identified for noting” in the May minutes have been included in the hospital’s new updated risk register for 2020.

The following four risks were identified at the May meeting and have been included in the new register: Critical care bed capacity; end-of-life structures; hospital infrastructure; financial risk; and capacity to meet scheduled care/“unintended outcomes” due to Covid-19.

There were a further five risks added to the register due to Covid-19, though some of these overlapped with the other identified issues.

These were: Financial; critical care bed capacity; inpatient activity; business continuity; and “reliance on paediatric hospital infrastructure”.

Last month MI reported that access to single rooms remains a challenge at TUH.

A hospital spokesperson told this newspaper that “During the first [wave of] Covid-19, CHI [Children’s Health Ireland] at Tallaght vacated their emergency department and wards to support TUH adult services. This temporary relocation provided the hospital with additional capacity including 45 inpatient beds.

The paediatric service has since returned to the campus, so this space is no longer available to the adult service.”

The spokesperson also told MI that hospital board meetings continue to take place virtually and will continue to be held in this manner for the foreseeable future.