Queen’s hospital safer than Tesco-says Chief Medical Officer.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital Trust’s Chief Medical Officer Magda Smith has stressed that both Queen’s and King George’s hospitals are safer to attend than Tesco. In an exclusive interview with the Havering Daily, the Chief Medical Officer is reassuring the community that our local hospitals have very strict methods in place to keep people safe.
“There are many different reasons why people come to our hospitals, some are for emergency reasons, others are due to planned appointments or operations, both pathways are safe.
“If you are coming for a planned operation or a diagnostic Test, we are running a Covid risk management which I can assure people is safer coming here than going to Tesco.We have strict screening for everyone who comes here, so I really want to reassure people that it is absolutely fine.
“There are high prevalence areas across Havering which sadly isn’t shifting at the moment. When people come to the hospital in an ambulance, they are taken to a different part of the hospital where they are checked for Covid. If they don’t have Covid, then they are taken to another part of the hospital.
“We have barriers throughout with plastic curtains to keep people apart. We swab everyone on admission, then three days later, then five days later. I can’t tell you that there is no chance of getting Covid, but I can tell you we have reduced it to the minimum.”
The Chief Medical Officer went on to tell us that there are currently 260 people in our local hospitals with Covid.
“We have Covid cohorts that are isolated areas. There are a tiny number of children with Covid, the majority are older people. The over 60’s are at the highest risk rate.
“Our Intensive Care Consultants have seen more people recovering this time round. We have been using a steroid called Dexamethasone, that after using it the chances of getting better are improved.”
Magda was keen to stress that if you do need to come to the hospital for planned appointments then please don’t worry.
“It is important for people to know that if they are not well to please call 111 to get advice. If they have chest pains, please call 111 or 999. The risk of you being unwell is higher not coming to the hospital than coming to the hospital.”
The Chief Medical Officer also pleaded with the community to please follow the rules.
“There are high prevalence areas in this borough. Please help us fight this by doing the right thing and remember the three key things, ‘Face, hands and space’.
Staff at the hospital are also pleased at the introduction of the new Covid vaccine.
Magda finished by saying, “We are excited about the vaccine and gearing ourselves up to help give it out.”
Please listen to Magda’s words and help our NHS staff by doing your part and remembering to social distance, wash your hands and wear a mask if you are not exempt.
Really, the hospitals are safer than Tescos? Perhaps the Chief Medical Officer can explain to me how a Grandfather, known to me personally, entered Queens hospital with a chest infection and mild heart attack, then two weeks later whilst still in hospital catches the Corona Virus and has now, unfortunately succumbed to it? He was just getting ready to be moved to another hospital to have a stent fitted when he contracted the virus and still had a good life ahead of him. I’ve not heard of anybody catching the virus from Tescos, and that’s not to say it isn’t happening because social distancing is being ignored, but to catch it in a hospital that should be safer than Tescos is a misnomer and quite wrong. Rest In Peace Grandad.
An addendum to the above. The grandfather went in to hospital in November, and both, contracted the virus and sadly passed away this month. IF IT IS SO SAFE, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN???
Not safe from the point of view they constant mess up appointments ( sending our ‘telephone ‘ appt letters then complaining you didn’t turn up at the hospital – plus aren’t seeing someone newly diagnosed with a serous debilitating illness- letting it slip during a phone call and then offering no advice or referral . Yet my son can see the orthodontist …
It would be very interesting if the Chief Medical Officer still thinks going to Queens is safer than going to tescos. Because I beg to differ. I have a brother in-law who is critical with covid because he went into Queens with a bad cough and had trouble breathing, he was diagnosed with clots on his lungs, he was put into a ward with patients who had covid he had two tests whilst there and both came back negative. He was discharged. After a few days he was taken back in with the cough and breathlessness. After another covid test it came back positive, as his breathing was improving he was sent back home to isolate. But he shared his home with his wife my sister, she fell ill and went for a test and she in turn tested positive. My brother in-law after a couple of days could not cope and was taken once again back to Queens only to be told by Dr’s you should of came back sooner, he was put straight on to a CPAT mask . In the mean while his wife was becoming very ill at home, and in turn ended up in Queens with him. My brother in-laws health deteriorated and ended up in intensive care having to be ventilated, and now is critical. Two days later his wife’s health deteriorated and she to ended up in intensive care having to be ventilated and is also critical, they are now in beds next to one another fighting for their lives. My brother in-law never had covid before he went into Queens.