Doctors, Nurses, healthcare professionals speak up for your patients now

[Neome]

You have cared for us, given us good news and bad, explained complicated conditions, encouraged us through difficult treatments.

Do not lose your humanity, speak up for us, for our value, for our dignity, for the alleviation of our suffering, for kindness at the end.

All you have worked for, all the trust we have in you, all of us who are testament to your expertise, hard work and sacrifice is in jeopardy.

Save us from harm, speak up for us now.

Every HCP I know will do so.

Nobody wants to ration care.
If they are forced to, nobody wants anyone denied life saving treatment to die afraid and in pain.

Pray that morphine (good for air hunger, calming) doesn't run out.

Do you think they won't? In what way do you mean speak up? Sorry confused by your post.

Why do you think they won't? They do this all the time. Sorry I'm another one confused by your post.

Also confused?

There may well be tough decisions that need to be made and it won’t always result in a younger patient being favoured if there is a shortage of beds, and it may have nothing to do with covid-19. Imagine losing your child to leukemia because their chemo needs to be delayed as there are no beds; or losing your husband to a heart attack because his diabetes makes him ineligible for ICU (when just a month ago he might have made a full recovery). These are the tough decisions we’re talking about and nobody makes them lightly.

Speak up about what?

I'm a health care professional working in specialist services in the community, who is likely to be redeployed onto the wards in due course. As I have no kids, and a car, this may well be the other side of the county.

I live on my own, and I've got asthma, although well controlled. I'm shitting myself about the current situation.

Will you be speaking up for me? And my colleagues who will miss time away from their family, have direct contact with the virus every day, no doubt expected that due to our vocational calling to work hours of unpaid overtime in understaffed, poorly equipped and overcrowded conditions?

Don't you dare accuse me or anyone else of losing our humanity or putting you at harm. As with every crisis that comes our way, we will be doing the very best we can.

I'm in awe at how our healthcare workers are and will work to help people during this. I couldn't do it, but I'm beyond grateful that there are those willing.

Yes, Spartak I will be speaking up for you,
I'm sure you are completely aware of the evidence base to say sleep protects your immune functioning, I hope you and all your colleagues can protect yourselves with sufficient sleep. I fear this crisis will not be like others, God be with you.

I still think often of Dr Li Wenliang and the many HCPs who have already succumbed to this disease.

I'm grateful to those who have understood my plea. To those who are confused I apologise. It seems to me that the time to speak about the plans being made is now.

They've been shouting from the rooftops for years. They've told everyone that the NHS is underfunded and under resourced. They're not going to stop however it won't magic up the desperately needed staff, beds and PPE will it?

No I won’t be ranting on social media making videos etc

Our plans are changing constantly as they have been worldwide

Too stressed with the enormity of it all to get all political about this right now the NHS needs reforming now is not the time

Others will speak out not because they are more passionate about their work than the rest of us but because they are ok putting themselves forward to speak out publicly not everyone is

Are you doing you bit help elderly neighbours with shopping or those that are vulnerable ?

It's actually bordering on offensive that you think we won't.

As an HCP I would ask people to stop panic buying, stealing alcohol gel from hospitals and healthcare buildings. Don’t clog up NHS 111 when you are well. Follow the handwashing advice, we’ve been doing it for decades and it works! Self isolate for 7 days even if you have only mild symptoms. Unless you absolutely have to don’t visit relatives in hospital. And most of all don’t spread fake information.

@Butterwhy - l agee. How bloody rude. I'm really concerned now about the situation. I work in theatres and have been told we will be used as an overflow for ITU.

I'm not ITU trained but I'll be expected to care for these patient's well out of my scope of competence as there will be no one else to do it.

I can see a lot of complaints being made to the NMC about nurses over the next few months because they are working outside their level of expertise and mistakes are being made..... careers will be ruined and lives lost.

Who will stick up for those nurses who are forced into a situation they are not trained for??

I am self isolating with child who has temperature and cough.

I’m very sorry my initial post sounded like an accusation to some, that was not for a minute in my mind.