Wollongong Hospital staff claim patient care at 'all-time low' amid COVID wave

Staff at a major regional hospital have raised concerns about their ability to provide adequate care for patients due to a sharp rise in COVID-19 admissions and a depleted workforce. Key points: Wollongong Hospital staff say the system is struggling with rising COVID admissions The number of people with COVID in Illawarra Shoalhaven hospitals has more than doubled in a week to 93 patients The nurses' union says staff are angry the government is not being honest about the situation in NSW hospitals In just one week, the number of people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has jumped from 38 to 93 patients. Wollongong Hospital staff say they are exhausted and concerned about rising COVID patient numbers. "In response to increasing numbers of COVID-19-positive patients being treated in hospital for other conditions, the Local Health District has now established COVID-management plans for individual wards," ISLHD chief executive Margot Mains said. "Where a patient being treated in a non-COVID ward develops symptoms and tests positive, measures are immediately put in place to minimise the risk to other patients including implementing additional infection control procedures, and a care plan established in line with COVID-19 patient management protocols."