NHSers - how are we doing / feeling? Calm before the storm?

[treebarking]

I'm in a low incidence area but even our covid ward has reopened with patients. No one on ITU but starting to see sicker covid patients coming in. Bigger regional hospital has a full unit already. No reduction in general admissions and if anything, they are more complex. Services were slowly getting back to normal, working through waiting lists etc but lags of 6 months for input. Infrastructure slowly going back to normal. Massive staff shortages as loads off with mental health sickness absence. Heating has gone on...hating mask life etc.

Today everyone suddenly realised that we might be going back to March or something similar. All the covid area processes again alongside running an acute service for non covid patients (as everyone won't stay at home this time round). Incorporating covid into the running of the hospital etc. Everyone has been in good spirits but today....really flat. Not sure we've got enough reserves to do it again.

We're therapies btw so go all over the hospital rather than ward based.

How is everyone else doing? Does anyone know what the plan is for the nightingales? 🤷‍♀️

[drinkingwineoutofamug]

@Motorina thank you. I've had 13 yrs hca and 2 yrs training. Jesus. Glutton for punishment.
He just thinks that the gov is lying (probably are) and that a bunch of pricks on you tube are telling the truth.
So I feel like I have to bottle it up and put on a brave face when I get home.
He gave tea and sympathy during April as I would come home crying. Never known death like it. And publics actions of I'm alright jack.
Now a different story.
Feel so alone .
Sorry I'm wittering , it seems that only other HCP understand.
The public seem to be amazed when I tell them that there's pinny gloves and a bloody paper mask between us and a covid positive patient. They all believe the telly , think we all wear nasa suits and full hazmat.
Sorry totally derailed , but I'm sure I'm not the only one with unsupportive partner/friends etc.

[Pippioddstocking]

Everyone is feeling very tearful at work again. A year of very little annual leave and months still to go before we can realistically take any. Despite being full time hours we are all still doing overtime and working as hard as we possibly can. We know it’s about to get worse again. Everyone is so tired and wrung out, nobody is sure how we will get through it.
Patients are grumpy, fed up and taking it out on us.
And now it’s the home schooling threat again ( teenagers so school have said keyworker scheme not really applicable to them) they can stay at home on their own but then no one is overseeing that they are doing the work. Mental health of my DD suffered in first lockdown, months of long days on her own while I had to work.
So much to juggle.
I am glad I have a job but right now I feel so broken with it all.

[Cheesybiscuitsmineallmine]

I'm not NHS but am so very very grateful for all you do and how hard you work. I have lots of NHS friends. Thank you x

[Hercwasonasnowball]

teenagers so school have said keyworker scheme not really applicable to them
It most certainly is applicable (teacher here). If you have the fight in you, push back on this one. Even if you compromised on a couple of days a week. Not guaranteed they will do the work in school as it won't be normal class teaching BUT school should be welcoming them.

to you all, and huge thanks.

[Kokeshi123]

Why is the UK facing an extraordinary second wave that has failed to materialise in every other country on earth?

?? Have you checked the international news recently?

[WeavingWandering]

Thank you lovely NHS

[opinionatedfreak]

I feel flat.

I’m not sure I or my colleagues have the internal resources to deliver what we did for the first wave again.

We went from that straight into a crazy drive to deliver tonnes more elective operating to catch up and have barely stopped - extra Weekend lists, extended days. Our nursing team have a 25% vacancy rate (thanks Brexit) and their morale is even worse than the doctors. Now in wave 2 more and more staff are going off sick so the staffing is terrible.

The situation just seems so relentless and the public don’t seem to want to help themselves - rammed shops etc. 2 weeks ago and endless criticisms from patients due to limited visiting, being asked to self isolate pre-surgery.

I’ve also had some patients fail to follow pre-op instructions for self isolation / testing thus contaminating what is meant to be a Covid protected pathway with some vulnerable staff working on it. No back up from mgt to apply sanctions eg. Cancel the totally elective surgery. Instead we all run around trying to mitigate the risk the selfish fuckers have introduced and protect other patients and our vulnerable colleagues.

Already been asked to staff a second rota over Christmas which means more poor buggers lose a planned break from work.

[drinkingwineoutofamug]

In work yesterday. We are a closed ward. Again.
Had a positive patient but no covid bed available in the trust. We have 3 covid wards.
No beds for gastro, cardiac or stroke as those wards are closed. 3 icu's . No maternity and down graded children's ward which are now seeing an increase in children with covid.
We are now transferring patients where we can.

So we have plenty of empty beds, just can't use them. Other issue is staffing. Isolating, shielding, agencies refusing to work.

Yet again public banging on about the nightingale hospitals. All very well but we don't have the staff. 5 icu handed in their notice in may. Can't recruit. No hca. Using newly qualified still under perceptership, blaming staff and patient movement for the outbreak. No mention of joe bloggs with his I'm alright jack attitude.


This is the warm up. I believe (and will find a hat to eat if wrong) that this is just the start . People don't care anymore. I'm now deleting all news apps as the comments are awful and skim reading them makes me angry. We seem to live in a me me me society.
Bollocks about if we all go into tier 4 hard lock down there will be no food, water, gas, electricity or emergency services.
The problem we have is people were scared into complying back in March, to a point. Now people are fed up. No longer scared. My partner one of them. I no longer speak to him about it.

Sorry off on a tangent again. I'm so pissed off.

[Fluffypyjamasandgin]

Not NHS, sorry for intruding on your thread. But I just want to reassure you that not everyone is all "I'm alright jack!" Or eating out, going to people's houses, shopping etc etc. I mean, lots are, and theyre selfish fuckers.
We haven't been inside another building since last March (apart from a supermarket when we couldn't get deliveries). We take it seriously to protect you guys and the vulnerable. Lots of others do too. I'm so sorry you have to deal with the utter selfishness of the public when under so much stress at work.
Thanks for everything

[drinkingwineoutofamug]

You are not intruding . Thank you for what you are doing.

[littleowl1]

To all the amazing NHSers out there.
You truly are heroes.
The whole country is behind you.
You are incredible! xxxxx

[CisMyArse]

I agree that thee are too many selfish people, too many blinkered people, too many complacent people, too many deniers.

They need to publish these kinds of threads. How anyone can read this with a cynical thought in their heads, is beyond me.

I get angry when I hear "it's your job" as some sort of gotcha. Not one of you signed up to work in an under-resourced, under-staffed system that is buckling under the pressure of a pandemic -a pandemic that was forewarned against yet our government decided to continue cutting funds over the last decade. You didn't sign up for that.

I'm a secondary school teacher - if any one of your teenagers are being denied a keyworker place at school, please talk to them again. I have sat with and cared for older teenagers of nurses throughout the last lockdown, teenagers that were lonely and were juggling revision at home when parents were on crazy shifts in hospital. We played games, watched films together but also sorted revision guides and went through work that was worrying them. Speak to your school - please. If it's a decent SLT
they will see that your needs are vital.

Where is the Daily Mail when you need them? They should be publishing your words. These type threads are humbling and, deeply saddening.

[CisMyArse]

I meant to add, thank you.
Sincerely, Thank you. Many of us haven't forgotten about you and all that you are doing.

[MRex]

Thank you all for your hard work, despite the conditions of uncomfortable masks, long shifts, unwell patients, idiot patients and at least one idiot husband. We stay quietly home but can hear ambulances going by again like April and we hope all the staff are not struggling too much.

[drinkingwineoutofamug]

At last we have a bit more ppe. I'm spending my whole shift in surgical gowns, masks , visors and 2 pairs of gloves
My face hurts
I'm so tired
Now on a run of 9 with 2 days off in between to cover isolating/shielding/covid positive staff.
I've been qualified for 2 wks ffs
And he's still being a twat.
My daughter has what looks like cellulitis on her hands due to hand washing.
I have bruised face.
Sat crying this morning as so so tired , miserable and ache all over.
Much love to my nhs family 💙
I feel like I just come here to moan and I apologise

[Stircrazyschoolmum]

Sending a big hug. You are all amazing people.

[Trollsinthedungeon]

Cancelled cardiac surgery, covid patients in our specific icu, 3 bays of ecmo patients each bay is 10 patients we're open for other hospitals ecmo patients. Think we'll be deploying theatre staff to icu again soon.

I have pneumonia and will be off next week but I've still had 15 WhatsApp messages from my boss today one where she tagged me in the group chat for work asking if I'd be in on Monday

[drinkingwineoutofamug]

Finally flipped yesterday at partner. And it felt good. Changed a few details but told him the reality of what I had to deal with yesterday, from relatives shouting at me, patients dying gasping for breathe etc. All this from he asking flippantly 'what's up?'
Feel relief today that Boris made a decision. Cases have sky rocketed here.
Just had the problem of wandering dementia patients touching everything!
A wise nurse told me if I could get through this as a newly qualified I can do anything. That's now stuck with me. Had to be consoled by physio yesterday before I cried in the middle of the ward 🙃
Felt very much out of my depth and no one to help as all so busy , it's not there fault. Back in this afternoon with a fresh determination. But the novelty of being a nurse has lasted all of 3 weeks.

[ThePrimeOfLime]

I've been put on a couple of random shifts in another hospital (same trust) because of staffing. This does happen occasionally but we over recruited this year and that doesnt appear to have plugged the gap. I guess its sickness rates. I've started having bad dreams about work again. Holding on for days off and hope for the vaccines!

[feelingverylazytoday]

drinkingwine you're doing brilliantly. Just hang in there, it will be over one day.
Thankyou for everything you and your colleagues are doing.

[StrugglingICUnurse]

drinkingwine well done you. No-one can keep it together all the time. I can't imagine how it must feel like as a newly qualified nurse.

[drinkingwineoutofamug]

Just had my vaccine. Partner wished me luck as he knows I'm scared of needles 😬
Find stabbing patients but come near me with a needle I sweat, shake and go dizzy.
Happy to report I feel fine . Not sprouted a 2nd head.

[PlantMam]

I feel like an intruder on what is clearly and intensely emotional thread but I just wanted to say how much I appreciate each and everyone of you.

Thank you.

[reesewithoutaspoon]

ICU's are full. local childrens hospital is now going to be taking adult itu patients.

[Choconuttolata]

My friend works in children's ICU in another trust and they are now taking adults too.

I am still off with Covid, DH was hospitalised with it. When he was admitted there was over a 12 hour wait to get a bed, ambulances queuing outside, no space in resus. A lot of people at work getting vaccinated now finally, no reactions reported.