Princess Alexandra Hospital staff cancel Christmas parties as they face Omicron demands

Staff at Princess Alexandra Hospital are cancelling their Christmas party plans as they face growing Covid-19 pressures.

Teams at the Harlow hospital said they were grateful to restaurants and other venues which have either issued refunds or postponed bookings.

Although national guidance for general Christmas celebrations has not been altered, given the current high demand for hospital services and the anticipated additional pressure from the new Omicron variant, all staff have been asked to consider changing their plans to celebrate with their team.

Lance McCarthy, chief executive of the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: "The unprecedented demands on the hospital and our ongoing plans to meet these demands has meant we have had to make the really tough decision to ask our people to reduce the risk of infection outside of the hospital and reschedule planned celebrations.

"This decision has not been made lightly and reflects our duty of care to our patients and our people too.

"A huge thank you goes to the many local restaurants and venues who have generously agreed to refund deposits and rebook in February and March 2022. Their understanding means that our people do not have be concerned about any financial loss.

"We know that the restrictions are also putting extra pressures on the hospitality trade and want to acknowledge their kindness in offering to refund and rebook events planned by our clinicians and support teams at what is a very difficult time for everyone."