Eighty staff absent from Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital due to covid-related issues as MSP warns of "enormous" pressure from Omicron

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Eighty staff are absent from Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) due to issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.Worried union leaders had already warned before Christmas the hospital was facing a "dire" staffing situation with some claiming patient safety was at risk.But NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) bosses revealed the exact number of employees forced to stay off work when quizzed about their reaction to the new rules on self-isolation.The figure includes those who have tested positive for the virus, those who have been identified as household contacts and are having to isolate, and staff who are suffering from long covid.Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here.Across the entire health board area, 1,158 people are away from work due to Covid-19, meaning absences at the RAH account for almost seven per cent of that.It is understood efforts are being made to resolve the situation and the health board has previously said a recruitment drive is ongoing for a range of specialities across the hospital.Earlier this week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a key change to self-isolation rules, with people who test positive now able to release themselves from the 10-day period if they deliver two negative tests on day six and seven respectively.Paisley-based MSP Neil Bibby said the pressure on the RAH was "enormous" and criticised previous isolation rules for keeping healthy staff away from work.The West of Scotland MSP said: “The RAH is in the grip of a crisis.

RAH workers were already warning of a ‘chronic’ staff shortage before Omicron hit and now the pressure on the hospital is enormous.“The Scottish Government should stand behind staff with a robust