Is anyone else hating their NHS life?

[hayfeverhellish]

NHS during covid was awful, obviously. But I think we were running on adrenaline but the ‘recovery phase’ is something else.

I’m in therapies so we are never thought about - it’s all cancer screening, operations and bed days that matter. But we are the people that get patients back on their feet, eating, talking and looking after themselves.

Currently, half of us have been forced to work at home with ‘virtual appointments’ (which doesn’t work for a lot of the patients and the tech is crap) and basically forgotten about in the new struggle for rooms / staff / PPE to restart services.

Everyone is tired, arguing over rooms and services, loads of people on long term sick with stress, unpaid leave due to lack of space in schools, and now we have to wear masks ALL. THE. TIME.

I could cry at the thought of Monday. The job I loved seems to have left the building and the patients are suffering

Just me?

Thanks for posting, I feel exactly the same same (oncology RN). I was looking at my options to retrain and leave for some time but I feel the last few months has really confirmed this. When you have multiple phone TFUs with the theme being ‘Iv not got covid so I’m not getting what I need’ it gets really upsetting and challenging. On the flip side slightly trapped as top band 7 so leaving inevitably would lead to a pay cut and the costs of retraining.

the government's pushing of heroes etc

• and this is starting to swing the other way now. The clapping stopped, and the rhetoric is now that transmission is from hospital / care home staff meaning we'll likely all either have had or will now face suspicion that we're the disease vectors. The government needs public support for the NHS to be forgotten so they can freeze our pay.

It’s a nightmare. All decisions are made top down, no consultation with those actually doing the job. Whether that’s from government or senior management. The job is big on quantity and very low on quality at the moment. I’m emotionally frazzled after a days work and I have had enough of working at home and doing most things virtually.

well as predicted the whole mask scenario is a shambles at our place today. Ive been sent home, and everyone now told to work form home all week unless we have a face to face appointment with a patient booked in until they can clarify when we do/dont need to wear a masks. Nightmare really because Ive got school aged children at home, and I find it hard making calls to pateints, ensuring privacy etc form home. Looks like we will be reducing face to face appointments again. So while the rest of the country is very gradually movig forwards it seems the NHS is going backwards. Fantastic. I am genuinely now searching for other jobs. Anything to get me away from this shit show. The stress of it is making me ill. I have been up since 5 am, unable to sleep, and sat in tears in my office this morning. Really dont know how much longer i can do this.

The mask situation is awful. I am honestly considering not going back. I’ve worked 13 hours today with a mask on and got told off the ONE TIME I took it off to have a drink. Apparently we’re now only allowed to drink on our break and the staff room door has been locked as were no longer allowed to use that (so we can’t congregate without masks and actually eat). It’s been 24 degrees today and after spending all day wrapped in plastic with a mask and only being allowed one drink on my designated break I feel ill, I honestly can’t keep doing this.

I have never seen anything like this. Overnight, they have covered the whole building (community mental health and out patients) with strips of tape all over the floor and arrows and no entry signs and one way systems. I couldn't actually get to my office today because both the doors at either end of the corridor had been marked no entry.
But of course no one is giving the outpatients a mask or telling they are supposed to have one.... Its an absolute shit show.
Everyone told to stay at home as much as possible. Talk of cancelling face to face appointments again.
No facilities for staff to have a drink, or lunch. Talk of a rota system with slots for toilet breaks....
They have even moved the button that opens the doors from the left wall to the right wall to compliment their massive WALK ON THE RIGHT signs.
I've come home. I am genuinely not sure I can face going back. I honestly think I've reached my limit and am seriously considering going off sick. I haven't had a day off sick in about the last 5 years.

I'm not NHS staff, but can I just say how much I appreciate the care I've had over the last weeks from physio and midwifes (I'm pregnant with a back problem - had I known they'd be closing gyms I'd have put off trying to get pregnant!) The care has been different, and to some extent reduced (no face to face physio, some midwife appointments over the phone) but everyone has been as helpful as they can be, and so kind. My physio was so helpful I almost cried with relief!

I sobbed before going into work at the weekend. proper broke down. They have us wearing reusable gowns which are basically plastic material like shower curtain and a ffp3 mask for 11 and a half hours a day . After 2 hours all the inside is wet and scrub suits are soaked through. yet we ony get 2 breaks a day to have a drink. I now have a fungal skin infection because I am permanently warm and damp. plus constant headache and leg cramps due to dehydration. Its torture, feel like handing my notice in.

@reesewithoutaspoon I'm so sorry.

Those plastic gowns are awful, no good for working in over any length of time. Feels like there's no end to it.

I've notice me and my colleagues taking a downturn these last couple of weeks. We're all starting to suffer and the adrenaline has gone now, we're just left in tatters with no end in sight.

Yep. Hate it.
I'm not in a particularly nice area with not so nice staff, bad choice on my part to relocate!
But I hate the ppe, pregnant, nauseous, I just can't cope in the surgical masks, let alone the ffp3s for hours at a time.
I've gone off sick, as work aren't very understanding and keep making me do procedures which require the ffp3, even though they make me sick and dizzy.

Also the masks for everyone all the time... A little too late.

Me. And my partner went to hospital yesterday for him to hand in my sick note, and for us to go to the pharmacy.
We both had fabric face masks on ready to enter the building to be told by security we can't wear our own ones, had to be a surgical mask.
I did ask how the NHS is going to keep this up, when ppe stock got staff is just about doable...
Seems silly.
We can't visitors wear their own face coverings.
It's been said hasn't it that hospital ppe should be kept for hospital staff, and face coverings should be home made / fabric.

The adrenaline has gone and now it’s a massive trudge, navigating through treacle with exhaustion and mask wearing. I’m clinging on until my annual leave next month... 6 weeks to go

I really sympathise with NHS workers, a good friend of mine is a nurse. Quite a few people have mentioned that they will be looking for new jobs. Whilst I understand that they want to leave, realistically there are few jobs around and we are about to have a recession.

The only jobs where I live are fruit picking or care work. Everything else has dried up completely.

@Ducky1900 the general guidance is any face covering but each hospital is trying to Navigate as best they can.

I think a lot of people won't give up their NHS jobs because there isn't anywhere to go but most will go on long term sick which will affect everyone in society. I've never seen so much extended sickness absence and more people are on the edge of going off as well.

I've notice me and my colleagues taking a downturn these last couple of weeks. We're all starting to suffer and the adrenaline has gone now, we're just left in tatters with no end in sight.

Totally agree with this.

Afraid life is crap in all NHS facilities just now, but hopefully it’ll get better!! Or else all will quit/ resign!!

Find it depressing there are so many twats out there- what are u guys meant to do? It’s the rules. I cannot imagine how you will manage to wear masks all day and carry on as normal, it would drive me nuts. I have had dealings with both my local hospital and drs surgery with my sons chronic illness lately. To be honest, we were seen quicker and more efficiently than usual. I cannot fault either. However, I expect his next scheduled appointment with his consultant will be cancelled- there will be people in greater need - I guess that’s the Way it goes.

It is beyond criminal that medical staff still do not have decent PPE, it makes me furious!! No one should have to work like that!

I’ve spoken to my GP today who has offered to sign me off sick, he thinks the constant mask wearing is triggering my asthma. Since Monday I’ve come home every day dizzy, with a headache, feeling sick, ringing in my ears. My inhaler use has rocketed, my lungs are hurting, I feel like I’m suffocating. I was just about coping when we were wearing masks for patient contact as I could have small breathers in between now it’s constant I’m not coping at all. I’ve decided to think about this week and speak to my manager. I really don’t want to go off sick when we are already so short staffed as everyone else is going off sick but I can’t continue like this either. It’s just torture now, how long are we expected to cope like this.

Think a lot of people are suffering at the moment and being treated like crap at work. I don’t blame anybody for having to be signed off sick.

I’m fed up and tired but don’t hate my job.
The masks do get easier. I’ve been wearing them since March on a busy ward. They do make you hot but I’ve found them useful at times to hide a laugh behind at a funny comment. We struggled with them on our ward (MH) because they do restrict communication via facial expressions and patients were wary of us but everyone seems to have got used to them now.

Yup. Exhausted. Work in primary care. Admittedly we were quiet from patient numbers during the peak but stressful trying to set up local hot hub, work out shielding advice, advance care plans. Now the patients are all returning but we’ve no support services to refer to. God knows how long waiting lists are now, can’t actually refer to some specialties at all. I’m dreading this winter

I'm not an NHS worker but just read all of this to see how you were all getting on and am horrified. I just can't get my head around you having to wear these suffocating masks all day but that patients or their partners would hurl abuse at you is just beyond me

Just wanted you to know that you are all very appreciated by so many people 'out here' xxx

God, I'm SO sorry you're all being treat like this & feel like this.

Is there anything we (jo public) can do?

Are your unions fighting this ridiculous mask issue? No drinks?

I wouldn't blame any of you for leaving, but from jo public point if view that's a terrifying thought - all the good staff leaving/being off sick.

Tell us what we can do to help!!

Huge appreciation for what you ALL do!! 🌷