Healthcare staff are people, not heroes, and we are exhausted

[hibbledibble]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-54623919

This summarises it perfectly. I could have written nearly everything in this article.

I'm currently having treatment for PTSD, following traumatic events during the first wave.

So many of my colleagues are also struggling with mental health at present as well.

In order to keep the NHS going, we need to value the staff.

I feel for you, OP. Ignore those who can’t scroll by but need to throw their little digs.

@StoneColdBitch
Regrettably there were potentially avoidable deaths locally due to high pressures on critical care resource here.
We were the very first place to surge (pre lockdown) and a lot of things were done on best guess as no one knew what was coming.
There were a lot of people who had non covid critical care requiring illness that couldn’t go to icu as there was no non covid area at certain points. hdu level care was provided on the ward with support.
Since then I believe there were plans so separate airflows etc so we can have a non covid icu in wave 2 if needed.

Again, I don't think the tumbleweed experiences are common either, as many staff were redeployed from specialities less effected by the pandemic. This meant that locally speciality doctors that weren't redeployed were very stretched, having lost a significant portion of doctors. A&E was still busy, as while they had less footfall, a greater proportion were seriously unwell, and they helped the medical team with admissions. Those with minor illnesses were less likely to come in, but the seriously unwell were still presenting.

Unsure how this is related to benefits for carers.

OP Thanks for everything. I think everyone in the NHS are incredible and am incredibly grateful; I am also very aware of how hard it is for you all and I do sympathise.
Sending you big hugs 🤗

We were not a hospital hit particularly badly in the big scheme of things but the first month or so were were completely overwhelmed. We trippled our ICU space, and that was full.

Yes outpatients clinic were cancelled. Even if some staff werent redeployed, there were many many staff that were put through incredibly difficult situations for a long period of time. 'I saw some nurses doing a tiktok' doesnt really detract from the fact that many nhs workers worked incredibly hard. Workers that werent redeployed were either working their own specialities - you still need on call drs for say ENT, or not able to be redeployed because they werent qualified. We didnt have a ready set of itu nurses partying in the outpatients clinics.

I'm a psychotherapist and one sixth of my client load is Medics with PTSD

Normally I get one a year with trauma related to job