Families of NHS workers

[apples24]

What are you planning to do?

DH is a reg and we've concluded that him catching the virus is only a matter of time now.

We're considering starting to observe 2m social distancing at home, I'd sleep in the study, we'd have different bathrooms etc. Just to try to minimise us hitting peak of the infection simultaneously. Even if it's "just" couple of days of high fever and tiredness, that'd make caring for our 1 year old a living hell.

If I'm perfectly honest, I'm also freaking out that he'll be exposed to a crazy viral load and will really be very badly affected. My heart so goes out to all of our healthcare workers.

How others feeling/prepping?

@Ffsnosexallowed I think that the system would cope better if frontline staff with contact/symptoms would be tested and would isolate if positive, not based on self-reported symptoms. That way not everyone who has the sniffles/cough/bit of temp would be isolating for 7 days. Think testing and making isolation decisions based on actual test results would end up in less staff self-isolating at home.

Anyway, the situation and policies for testing are what they are and we need to live with that. No point in me being a keyboard warrior if I disagree with the policy.

@6000choccybiccies that's a hard situation to be in, really feel for you.

@QueenofmyPrinces our wee one had bronchiolitis back in September. You guys do an amazing job on the peads wards

@QueenofmyPrinces cross-posted about the rationale for testing. I completely agree with you.

Also if you do get immunity after recovering (and I think that's still a big if) wouldn't it be really useful to know which staff are protected by this, could redeploy workforce accordingly?

Diverting testing from patients in hospitals to staff would not, imo, be a good use of resources. Staff would have to self isolate while waiting for testing anyway. Staff who initially ate negative, but continue to have symptoms could subsequently be unknowingly positive, but because of previous negative test would stay at work.

I think frontline NHS workers are screwed whatever tactics are used, or whatever actions are taken. We’ll soon be dropping like flies with the virus....

DH is frontline staff working with acute respiratory admissions including some confirmed cases already, and I'm at home with a 5.5month old baby.

We don't have the space to self-isolate at home, he's really careful with PPE at work so although he's coming in and showering and then keeping his laundry separate, there's not a lot else we can do.

All the staff on the respiratory wards are scared for themselves and their families. The crunch point will be in a little while (next week?) when the masks that he's been fit-tested for run out. At which point does he refuse to work without the safest possible PPE? Is it acceptable to refuse to work wearing something that's probably ok but not tested or optimal if it means patients don't get treated?

We won't be tested at all the managers have said.

I will be looking after virus patients.
I don't feel the ppe are adequate and I know I'm asking too many questions.

terralee - I’m fortunate that I don’t work with high risk patients but I worry for my colleague alike yourself who have no option but to work with CV19 patients and just hope for the best.

The government keeps talking about protecting the elderly but how are they protecting NHS staff?

It’s really sad actually and I worry what is going to happen to our workforce.

@apples24
Just some reassurance about your DH's life insurance. If he's paying into an NHS pension he will have life insurance (usually x3 salary) as part of this. Make sure he's completed his payment nomination form.

Teralee what PPE are you advised to wear? We have boots, full body suit with hood, pinafore over that and visor goggles and mask plus 3 pairs gloves. Don’t know how long that will continue for and you can’t wear it constantly so still the risk of ED staff in particular being exposed

I work in the NHS for the Emergency Services and the number of couples that work together is a concern, who would look after their DC if they both fall ill at the same time, which I suppose could happen in other families too, but more risk if both parents work for Frontline NHS.

I'm a nurse, I work mainly in a clinic setting but expect to be told on Monday that my usual duties will stop and I will be back on the wards. I feel anxious - I have 3 kids and a heart condition (although not a serious one). The hospitals are not prepared for this at all in my opinion. We are still allowing hundreds of visitors to walk on to wards everyday, that is not protecting patients at all.
My husband is a consultant within a speciality and fully expects he will also end up being moved into emergency care at some point in the near future.
The majority of staff in our hospital have not been fitted up for masks etc, we have had little to no briefing on how we will manage things. We keep getting emails from management to say they are making plans but they fail to tell the clinical staff what these plans are.
Our two younger children are still primary school age but we have two teenagers (17 & 18) who we have already spoken to about taking over childcare of their siblings if we both get ill at the same time.

The hospitals are not prepared for this at all in my opinion. We are still allowing hundreds of visitors to walk on to wards everyday, that is not protecting patients at all.

Complete agree!

And the thousands of people that go to the outpatient department every day astounds me and although I don’t deny some of the appointments are necessary I imagine a lot of them could be done via the phone.

The stopping off mass gatherings should also be applied to hospitals.

Teralee what PPE are you advised to wear? We have boots, full body suit with hood, pinafore over that and visor goggles and mask plus 3 pairs gloves. Don’t know how long that will continue for and you can’t wear it constantly so still the risk of ED staff in particular being exposed

Haha.. we have aprons gloves and surgical masks. I think we have a couple of visors too but not many. I work in mental health so if/when a patient gets it we cant even properly isolate them. We're all cannon fodder

@JamMakingWannaBe the cover via NHS will help but for a junior reg working a 4 day week it doesn't add up to that much sadly.

Speaking of a 4 day week, we're also expecting that at some point DH will be requested to work full time.

DH and I both work in frontline services. I'm already working with covid patients. No fit testing in our trust and were already running out of kit so downgrading required PPE.

In a way I want to get it and get over it. But I'm worried for DH as he has some underlying lung stuff.

I'm dreading having to look after colleagues. Someone I work with is still undergoing active cancer treatment and I was asking her if she can do some back office stuff, no she's being refreshed to work back on ITU with covid patients.

Feeling very cared about right now.