New N&N boss Nick Hulme speaks of Covid variant uncertainty

A significant outbreak of a new variant of the virus in a single Norfolk care home was confirmed last week - accounting for 82pc of detected cases nationwide.

Nick Hulme, interim chief executive of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, has admitted there is an air of uncertainty about how the illness will spread - particularly over the winter months.

But he added that it would take an extremely serious set of circumstances for the hospital to return to limiting visiting, as it did at the height of the pandemic.

He said: "We do not quite know what is going to happen with Covid but we do have contingency plans.

"The challenge will certainly be different and we will take advice both nationally and locally."

MORE: Norfolk care home Covid outbreak: What we know so far

Mr Hulme said that individual hospitals had now been given more localised control of how they manage infection - as opposed to following blanket national guidelines set during the pandemic.

He said: "It became quite frustrating because often circumstances were very different across the country, but we all had the same restrictions.

"One area I personally feel very strongly about is preventing visitors - I will need a lot of convincing to make any decision about that.

"The pain and distress caused by stopping visitors is significant and we have to balance any risk with that psychological distress."

'It is patients who are suffering'

​Mr Hulme also made an emotional plea for the government and striking doctors to find some common ground at last.

The stand-off over pay has seen junior doctors and consultants both vote for further strikes in the coming weeks and months.

Mr Hulme said that nationally more than a million patients have now been affected by the industrial action and that the situation desperately needed resolving.

He said: "I think are approaching the point where we are all becoming a bit insular towards them [the strikes].

"What concerns me is we have almost become used to them - we are almost not shocked any more, it's just something that is happening.

"It is the patients who are suffering - some of whom will have had appointments cancelled multiple times and that takes a real psychological toll on them.

"In any negotiation situation, both sides have got to be prepared to move and make compromises and it seems like neither the government nor the BMA are prepared to do that.

"It is unacceptable and patients are missing out on care because neither side is prepared to give and that is not what we are here to do."

On hospital morale issues

The most recent NHS staff survey saw the hospital earn the undesirable reputation for having the lowest morale in the country.

Mr Hulme said this was something he was keen to help address during his stay at the trust - which is due to last until February.

He said: "My sense is that there is a lot of people who feel a bit embattled - it has been a long, long slog for many years now and people are really feeling that.

"For me, while I am here, I think it is important to try and start to build some hope for the future.

"Sometimes we have to be reminded of the huge opportunities that are here. I will do what I can to instill that belief in our staff in the short time that I am here.

"I bring many, many years of experience with me and I hope the hospital can benefit from that."