Up to four patients and 19 members of staff have tested positive for Covid-19 following an outbreak in one of Fife’s largest palliative care units.
NHS Fife carried out tests after a number of employees at the Victoria Hospice in Kirkcaldy fell ill.
In addition to the confirmed cases among the staff, it has emerged that the disease has spread to a number of patients undergoing palliative treatment.
NHS Fife said it cannot disclose the exact number of people being cared for in the Victoria Hospice in Kirkcaldybut it has confirmed that number is “less than five”.
The outbreak came to light after The Courier was contacted by a source close to the hospice.
Helen Buchanan, director of nursing at NHS Fife, said: “NHS Fife can confirm a cluster of staff and patients at the Victoria Hospice have tested positive for Covid-19 virus.
“All inpatient staff in the hospice have been screened for Covid-19 and those who are symptomatic or who have tested positive are currently isolating at home.
“None of the affected staff have required admission to hospital and all are recovering well.
“Only a very small number of patients are currently being cared for in the Victoria Hospice and measures are in place to reduce the opportunity for the virus to spread.”
The purpose-built hospice is situated in the grounds of Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital.
It is one of two hospice units in Fife, with 10 inpatient specialist palliative care beds.
Since the start of the pandemic, the Victoria Hospice is said to have been operating well below its normal capacity, with greater numbers of patients being cared for in the community supported by clinical teams.
In addition to health care workers, doctors, nurses, counsellors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians and pharmacists, the hospice is also visited on occasion by the hospital chaplain, hairdressers and beauty therapists and nursing students.
It is not yet clear what staffing roles have been affected.
The source close to the hospice told The Courier: “It’s really worrying for everyone.
“We had heard that there were only around 10 cases to begin with, but it’s obviously worse than that.
“In a place like this, the virus will spread like wildfire.”
NHS Fife said all inpatient staff were tested as part of an enhanced screening approach which revealed additional asymptomatic individuals were also found to be carrying the virus.
The 19 members of staff in question are now isolating at home. It comes after the number of Covid-19 deaths in Fife rose to 143, from 118 last week. Most of the deaths, 74, happened in hospital, with 54 in care homes and 15 at home.
