Thread for NHS staff

[LucheroTena]

How prepared do you think your place of work is? I work clinically in large teaching hospital and not at all confident we’re ready. Outside of wards there is very little planning and yet we have massive outpatient services. Elective stuff is being limited now but nowhere near enough capacity will be created. Millions in deficit so we’re operating on skeleton workforce and even when we can recruit no one wants to work here. Dozens of calls to our small team each day from worried patients, it’s taking up so much time to answer them all on top of already manic workload. Loads of staff with symptoms that are concerning but we’re not swabbing them and 111 uninterested unless they’ve travelled. Admin staff gleeful that they might soon be ‘working’ from home when truth is it’s difficult to get them to do much work on site let alone unsupervised. It doesn’t feel as though there is much consideration for clinical staff and now we’ll no doubt also be burdened with doing the jobs of admin. Never been as close to saying stuff it and quitting.

I'm seriously having a panic attack just considering going into work tomorrow.
I don't know what to do.
This is not normal anxiety. It's awful.

I feel sick and scared. I'm a frontline nurse with 14 years experience and I've seen a lot of shit, but this is something else entirely. Maybe because we know it's coming and we can't stop it.

I feel a bit stupid feeling like this. None of my colleagues are (that they've said) and we're probably one of the most protected wards in our hospital right now. We won't take anybody with a temperature, cough, shortness of breath etc.
I just want to go to bed and wake up when this is all over.

I don't feel anxious at all about me catching it. My problem is most of my patients (house bound) have end stage COPD, it scares me that I could be infecting them.

Ds (15) just now has complained of a cough, sore throat and his temp = 37.8. I'm on call tomorrow for a large swathe of the city so god knows what to do!!!

After the initial flurry on weds and thurs, we've been eerily quiet in paeds. People are staying away. We've had 8 inpatients on our 40 bed unit and 15 ward attenders today. We had 12 inpatients yesterday.
One suspected covid that was assessed and sent home, not swabbed as not an inpatient.
All outpatients and electives are cancelled from next, mainly so that resources can be redirected to adult wards, however they are not overrun yet. It could be the calm before the storm.
There are 6 confirmed cases in the area but none are in hospital.
Everyone is chilled about it all, no panic or worry in our staff group.

I work in procurement in a large trust, we've been very very busy trying to secure the PPE supplies. Everyone is very stressed.

I work in a large hospital as a radiographer. We haven't had any diagnosed covid patients yet but it's only a matter of time. First it will be a few, then many, then nothing but that.

The descriptions of hospital conditions in Italy and Wuhan are flat out terrifying. I'm thinking of my colleagues and honestly don't think the team would cope. They currently complain about things like not enough biscuits ordered for the tea room, or their parking spot was a bit far away. They aren't in the army, they aren't soldiers.

If a ?Cv pt comes in, they fight not to be the one to take the patient.

We have enough masks for now but not an unlimited amount.

All I'm reading on social media and in the news is people talking about self isolating. It's upsetting because we are doing the opposite. I'm jealous when I read thread after thread on here where people debate whether to, for example, attend one hospital appointment, as they are thinking it would be too risky. And here we are, actively interacting with infected people for 8 hours a day. It's basically a 100% chance of getting it, and then infecting your family.

Has anyone else’s trust scaled back on the PPE? We now only need surgical mask and apron (plastic flimsy thing that rips as you are trying to put it on) and gloves for suspected patients and gown, gloves, visor and ffp mask for confirmed patients. I just feel today like I am definitely going to get it the way we are not really protected with suspected patients. I feel uneasy going to see vulnerable relatives now as I feel like I will be constantly exposed

1300cakes this. The NHS is not prepared. I am so, so thankful that my ward wasn't made into the isolation ward for this. I would have walked out if it was. I will, if I am forced into dangerous situations.

There is a nursing home in my city that had an outbreak (a staff member is believed to be the source, then several patients and other staff were infected) and most of the staff have refused to go to work. They have so far been covered by agency nurses, but obviously this won't be possible if it starts happening everywhere.

Will people everywhere just start walking off the job? I can't say I'd never consider it, especially if I was a nurses assistant in a care home (poorly paid, no ppe available nor proper training to use it). Or if my colleagues were all on ventilators as was the experience described by Italian and Chinese doctors.

@Ciwirocks, same for us.
We asked, what happens if a suspected becomes a confirmed and we have not had the right PPE... no answer. You see medics in other places in full hazmat suits. And they are still catching it.
Really really don't want to go in tonight. I don't think they care about the staff at all.

We have the same rules for ppe Ciwirocks
We have 3 boxes of surgical masks locked away on the ward after the grand theft handgel incident.
Apparently main stores have loads of masks but mini clip on handgels won't be in stock for 3 months!

I've woke up today with sore throat and sinus pain. No temp or cough. I looked after a few tonsillitis patients and I do tend to catch it 🤷‍♀️

I just feel today like I am definitely going to get it the way we are not really protected with suspected patients.

Its inevitable, isn't it. The advice for everyone else - don't even walk in the street or you'll be infected. Advice for us - go ahead and touch and get breathed/vomited/crapped on by 100s of sick people with just a surgical mask on (if you are lucky), you'll be fine. A bit contradictory!

I'm a critical care pharmacist so have mostly been involved in planning for drug supply when our critical care beds double. We have not had any confirmed cases yet so it's kind of business as usual but will be a different story in a few weeks.
My issue is what I'll do when schools shut. My mum and in laws provide childcare but they are both over 70 so won't be able to when self isolation presumably starts.
My DH will look after DC too of course but I imagine a large proportion of frontline NHS workers will be in a similar positron if/when schools close.
Not everyone can work from home!

I've woke up today with sore throat and sinus pain. No temp or cough. I looked after a few tonsillitis patients and I do tend to catch it 🤷‍♀️

And with no testing theres no way to know for sure. say you self isolate for a week now and it turned out to be just tonsillitis or cold or whatever where do you stand if in a few week you need to self isolate again?

It’s horrible and I am so scared. No one seems to care, health care professionals have died in other countries. I was all for closing schools etc but on a personal level there is no point, I will just get it in work 😩. We are seriously not paid enough to risk our lives!

Honestly in my position (probably able to self support with only one person working), I am seriously considering just handing my notice in. When this is over maybe going back on the bank? Or should I wait and see for a week or so first?

I would have walked out if it was. I will, if I am forced into dangerous situations.

X post TailSpin exactly. I want to help but at the same time, I didn't sign up to die for my country, especially if it's shown it cares nothing for my safety. I'm not brave.

The nhs isn't prepared but to be fair, no health system could be. There aren't enough masks in the world for the amount we need. Not to mention you can still be infected wearing one. Most likely from a mistake taking it off but people are only human and mistakes are inevitable in a stressful environment.

I am seriously considering just handing my notice in

I don't even really care if I can't get bank shifts. Better be jobless than dead. My DH works the same job and he isn't taking this seriously, he is a bit worried but thinks it will most likely "blow over".

I wonder if it’s best just to catch it now and get exposed to a lower dose of the virus.

Agree. I'm not going to rush into anything, but I will not put myself and my family at risk for an organisation that doesn't give a fuck and sees us all as replaceable.

I've read a few pages of this thread. It's made me sad. Sad that the only group of people with the experience to care for us should we fall sick do not have the necessary equipment for themselves.

You ALL need hazmat as a minimum because we cant afford to have a single medic incapacitated or worse by this virus.

What the hell IS the Government doing?

If I was a woman of means, I'd seriously provide myself.

NHS staff I salute you all for taking your oaths as thoughtlessly take a breath. I pray that just as God shielded the Israelites from the plague, so shall He shield all of you.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💪

What's making me stressed tonight is reading the news and social media, seeing articles and posts saying "Stay home! Distance yourself! Don't get near anyone!" I'm getting thinking "Stop telling me! I bloody well wish I could!"

And with no testing theres no way to know for sure. say you self isolate for a week now and it turned out to be just tonsillitis or cold or whatever where do you stand if in a few week you need to self isolate again?

We were told on Friday that they will be monitoring those who self isolate in case people take the piss.
I've had 2x tonsillitis since October so they know I'm prone. It's ridiculous.
I will message my boss in a bit but she's quite sensible so I'm sure she'll want me in tomorrow -because we're short staffed-

You ALL need hazmat as a minimum

Apparently an apron with arms and a surgical mask is more than enough .

If I was a woman of means, I'd seriously provide myself.

Thats the worst part, you aren't even allowed. One of my colleagues wore a mask he brought from home, planning to wear it all day, and was told to take it off as he was "scaring the patients".