Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

71. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the recent call by an organisation (details supplied) for ventilation in hospitals to be examined to ensure the safety of nurses and midwives in their workplaces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26949/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ventilation has remained a core element of the broader infection prevention and control (IPC) response over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ventilation should not be seen as a standalone measure, but rather a single component of the overall layered response required to reduce the risk of transmission, and an adjunct to the continued need for adherence to the full range of public health advice. The importance of ventilation as a measure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 is embedded in Government communications on the pandemic.

The HSE’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control Division (AMRIC) was established in early 2019, under the Office of the Chief Clinical Officer. It is led by the AMRIC National Clinical Lead and consists of a core multidisciplinary team with expertise across a range of relevant clinical domains.

The AMRIC provides expert advice on the practical and safe implementation and application of antimicrobial resistance and infection control measures in healthcare and non-healthcare settings. HSE AMRIC guidance promotes adequate ventilation as one of a number of measures to reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in acute settings, published online here:

Acute Hospital Infection Prevention and Control Precautions - HPSC

Guidance on the sectoral application of the broad range of public health advice, including ventilation, is a matter for individual sectors.

With regard to the healthcare sector, the Deputy is advised that the application of infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance as referenced above, including procurement of equipment as necessary, is an operational matter and as such, the Deputy’s question has been referred to the HSE for direct written response.