What happens when the hospitals reach capacity?

[rainytreeleaves]

Just reading about NI nearly reaching bed capacity and a few places in the north as well. Hospital in Londonderry saying they are in a worse state than in the spring.

The hospital that I work in has been on black alert all week. The covid ward is full, no other wards can be repurposed as everywhere is full and (from tracing they believe) community transmission and via asymptomatic staff, there is a mass outbreak on our care of the elderly ward. Lots of staff self isolating so unsafe shifts and lots of patients infected. Also those elderly patients aren't now leaving to free beds up and no elderly patients can be admitted there for specialist input. It's a total mess.

Our local nightingale can't open as they don't have anyone to staff it. They are literally begging people throughout our region to go on the bank to staff it but there's not enough trained staff available.

I'm just not sure what will happen next....we are worse now than the spring. Slightly less covid so far but much greater bed need in general and more general transmission throughout making working really difficult.

Boysadear I am really sorry to hear that. It’s horrible Westminster don’t seem to be managing these higher Rate areas you must feel forgotten about

@ChocChip01
The children's Dad combined with schools and other childcare providers if they remain open. Having children with an NHS professional doesn't make a man exempt from childcare duties even if many seem to think it should.

@Boysadear

I live in county Derry, we are in a vulnerable Position . An all island approach is needed but as usual in this country politics doesn’t allow. And to be honest conservative governments never cared about us historically. I fear for us here, the figures are so high compared to the spirit of Ireland.

It's so worrying and in a normal Winter hospitals are at crisis point at times there. The thing is the ROI hospitals are also underfunded and very limited ICU beds. You would hope if it comes to it emergency and reciprocal cross border care will be organised. Such worrying times.

Oh statistical sense. You live in a time when dads were all living with mums.

That’s so sweet.

@StatisticalSense I'm a nurse. I'm part time. I worked frontline during the first wave as did my husband who is a doctor. Who do you propose would have looked after my children if I'd gone full time while my husband was also at work?

In my hospital we have been nursing Covid patients on the same ward as non Covid ones. Now the numbers are up though they are getting their own ward again which is a relief. It didn't feel right to me to have such little separation between Covid and non-covid patients.

Exactly @Ellapaella similar circs to DH and I. We tried very hard not to use the childcare provided by the school to protect others.
As a pp said, some posts are best ignored,

@Ellapaella
Opposite shifts?
Maybe the NHS needs to move to a fixed Sunday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday shift pattern with alternating Wednesdays on a 12 hour shift basis for the duration of the pandemic with those living with another HCP allocated to opposite shifts (and nights being worked on those days of the week at the appropriate frequency depending on the exact role and department involved).

@StatisticalSense you can’t expect nhs workers to sacrifice so much.

Local hospital has 42 on ITU and 128 inpatients-slightly more than 4 per Hospital 🤨

Not everyone works in the same hospital as their other half. We work in different hospitals, the demands of his department and mine are totally different. You can't coordinate an off duty across hospitals, that's completely unworkable.

@StatisticalSense you're hilarious! 🤬

Tell me, what do you actually do that gives you the right to talk like that about doctors, nurses, HCP, physios etc, who are staring to see their working life return to the way it was early in the pandemic? If indeed "the stick" was used, then what happens to the families of those who work part time to cover child care, parental care, or are just too exhausted after a career in medicine / nursing?

To all who work in the NHS, like I and my husband do, I give you a big hug, we'll do what we have to do again, and hopefully make it through to the other side.

StatisticalSense how about we put NHS workers in camps under guard? Only allowed out to work- under escort of course.

Their DC can all go into separate camps, so no distractions for their parents.

I am a part time nurse who was redeployed during the first wave. It was awful, and I have already said I'm not being redeployed this time. Come at me with a stick and I'll go off sick or leave.

@StatisticalSense probably thinks anyone who claims UC or who is furloughed should be conscripted in to do NHS work 🤣

We have a lot of people off sick with stress and those who are part time are doing extra shifts to cover the basics already. Certainly nothing left for nightingales.

@MJMG2015

My heart is racing. Lockdown I can do. Whatever it takes.

But these numbers racing out of control again is terrifying me. This level of fear again...

Why can't people just stop being stupid & blasé, schools & uni's need to close.

We CANNOT just let this run. We really can't or all of these kids everyone wants in schools are going to be mourning the loss of not just grandparents, but parents, aunties,uncles,cousins,siblings,teachers and friends.

People who think it's only killing people already on their death beds need to open their eyes!!

We are nowhere near where we were in March. They can’t keep closing schools, that’s ridiculous.

You can’t conscript drs and nurses or make them increase their hours. What a mad suggestion

@rainytreeleaves
Of course there's a load of with 'stress' and the same people will probably develop a bad back a week after returning (which will be the week before full pay ends).
Actually I'd to see those furloughed back in their actual jobs which could happen for the vast majority if the NHS was actually stepping up to provide for society rather than expecting society to collapse to provide for it.

@StatisticalSense

Well if it's staffing issues it looks like it's time for the government to conscript nonworking and part time nurses and doctors of working age to work full time (or make up their hours to full time) in the nightingale hospitals at usual rates of pay.

You can fuck that. I and my friends won't be doing that.

@Chickenandrice

I agree MJMG the problem is though there are so many Covid deniers around. I think the government are really stuck cos even in the north people are saying the refuse to be locked down again. And to do a lockdown you really need the public on side. Unfortunately everyone seems to have very short memories.

I think less Covid deniers than people just really not giving a fuck. Sadly you can’t make people care about stuff.

Increase in covid cases + ordinary Winter pressures = perfect storm.

@StatisticalSense opposite shifts?! When are they meant to sleep then?!

I think less Covid deniers than people just really not giving a fuck. Sadly you can’t make people care about stuff.

I wonder if they'll still not give a fuck when there's no room in the hospitals.

This is my fear, my husband was in the shielding group and now he has to go to work, if he catches it and needs a hospital bed there might not be one a available.

I wonder if they could train up medics from the forces to staff the nightingale hospitals?

@BlueBlancmange

I think less Covid deniers than people just really not giving a fuck. Sadly you can’t make people care about stuff.

I wonder if they'll still not give a fuck when there's no room in the hospitals.

I know. That’s the problem.