Is there anyone who works for the NHS

[Stressed21]

Who isn't chronically stressed in an understaffed ward/department?

If so, how has your department managed it?

My own workload is often unmanageable, as is that of the majority of the staff I manage and others I speak to. It was bad before COVID, but obviously worse now. I try to ensure the staff below me are coping and OK, but there's only so much I can do when the fact is, we don't have enough staff.

Just interested to hear if anyone doesn't feel this way. Have name changed for obvious reasons

@MyCatDribbles

I’m patient facing and have been throughout the pandemic. Last week I got a really nasty complaint from a patient saying I hadn’t bothered to engage in small talk with her. Even though I did. But she felt the need to write in a written complaint nonetheless.

I just think what’s the point in all the hard work

That's absolutely ridiculous, imagine wasting time with a complaint like that.

@MyCatDribbles

I’m patient facing and have been throughout the pandemic. Last week I got a really nasty complaint from a patient saying I hadn’t bothered to engage in small talk with her. Even though I did. But she felt the need to write in a written complaint nonetheless.

I just think what’s the point in all the hard work

I think the emphasis of health care has turned away from actual health and care and more towards 'customer service' with people complaining they didn't get a cup of tea immediately, or a a HCP didn't engage in small talk, or they didn't get whatever treatment they wanted, but didn't actually need- these people are trained and employed to fix and manage (or prevent) health issues, not brighten your day with a little chat or a nice cup of Rosie Lee and a biccy, or treat you with something inappropriate because you want it. I'm not saying we shouldn't involve patients in their own care and making decisions about it, or that bedside manner is impossible, but the emphasis should be on healthcare, not customer service.

*bedside manner isn't important

Thanks autocorrect!

It would be an interesting exercise - 'would you prefer to be seen an hour earlier or have staff engaging in small talk with you while you wait?' or ' would you prefer to have a face to face appointment rather than a phone call but no more free teas?' It still did not sink in NHS will have change permanently post Covid.

@Diceychoice totally agree.
I did a thorough diagnostic assessment on this patient, for most of which I have to concentrate and don’t talk that much, but because she felt I didn’t give her enough “fluff” as it were she took the time out of her day to complain about me. Even though I did a good diagnostic study. And she was seen quickly.

@Roomarmoset

Why are they isolating due to household symptoms?
Surely they are double jabbed?
So dont need to do this?

[quote WaterAndRichTea]@Roomarmoset

Why are they isolating due to household symptoms?
Surely they are double jabbed?
So dont need to do this?[/quote]
They did change it but two weeks ago they changed it back again and they're now saying if you live with someone who has symptoms or is positive then you need to isolate for 10 days after a positive PCR.

I'm a band 5 nurse in ITU. Am at the end of what I can cope with. Am also a single mum to a teenager with adhd and menopausal. It feels like covid is never going to end for us.

@MyCatDribbles I have seen a couple of similar complaints. It makes me feel really on edge, I know that clinically I will do whats best for my patients but there is the odd patient that if you don't give them the right sort of small talk or the right bedside manner will complain. Obviously bedside manner is important but occasionally I've misjudged it and have seen it misjudged by colleagues, especially at 3am in the morning when I have 5 other patients to see and I haven't slept in nearly 24 hours!

Ultimately the most important thing is taking a thorough history exam and diagnosing/managing the patients health. But I agree that healthcare has moved more towards customer service rather than providing patients with what they need

[quote MyCatDribbles]@Diceychoice totally agree.
I did a thorough diagnostic assessment on this patient, for most of which I have to concentrate and don’t talk that much, but because she felt I didn’t give her enough “fluff” as it were she took the time out of her day to complain about me. Even though I did a good diagnostic study. And she was seen quickly.[/quote]
And that should be enough, because that's what she was there for, healthcare, not small talk. I really hope that someone, somewhere sees sense and tells people who complain about stuff like this that they're unreasonable, I doubt it though.

Thing is, the healthcare side is failing, despite the efforts of the people working within the system, yet people are expecting exemplary customer service on top, I saw that myself, absolutely cannot fault the physical care I received by individual HCPs, but the system it was being delivered under I can.
I think some people confuse the NHS with the people working within it, and blame them for the systematic failures that they too are a victim of.

And now the backdated 3% pay rise has resulted in a 3.2% rise in pension contributions so…..a net pay cut

@SwayingInTime

And now the backdated 3% pay rise has resulted in a 3.2% rise in pension contributions so…..a net pay cut

Only for those at the top of band 3.

(When I calculated it it wasn’t a pay cut when you looked at net figures. It was for band 5 3 years ago.)

And for the top end of band 6 for quite a few of us, all seems a bit random depending on your regular antisocial hours. Don’t want to derail thread though, just reeling a bit!

Someone once emailed a complaint that my team didn’t know what fruit she liked.
True but we knew everything about her bloods and meds.

Practice nurse. I'm actually really lucky as our practice is over staffed for nurses and workload slightly lower as we're so short on GPs that they are generating less work for us! Anyone wants a nurse, they can see one within 24 hours most days! Not the same in most practices I know though and I feel guilty all the time for how easy I have it, believe me.

However, we are screwed for GPs. There was one on this afternoon. We had one go on compassionate leave last week and apparently there are no locums. None, in the whole county. One of our sister practices is currently running on one locum GP and that is all!

Our poor receptionists get constant abuse for not being able to give people appointments we don't have. 2 nearly in tears on Monday.

Demand has increased significantly, but we have less capacity. It's dreadful for the poor GPs as they are working well over their hours seeing extra urgent patients (you can't refuse an appointment to a sick child, it doesn't matter how busy you are!) and things like blood results just aren't getting processed because there's no time.

I am mh nurse, staff are leaving all the time. I regually am the only qualified nurse on unfamiliar ward out out my area. Its unsafe

Just wanted to say hat's off to you all, and thank you 🙏

I work in mental health (NHS). I wrote in 3 staff farewell cards today - a record!

@Xigris

I’m a critical care band 7. It’s horrific we have staff leaving in droves - lots of them excellent, experienced ICU qualified nurses so this is having a massive impact on the department. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to recruit even though we’re a London Trust. We can only recruit at band 5 level with no previous critical care experience meaning we have to start from scratch with them.

We are very very busy. We are running two ICUs where previously we had one with an HDU attached but separate. We now have a covid ICU where we continuously have at least 7 sick, ventilated, proned patients the vast majority of which are unvaccinated.

Our non covid ICU is very busy with the usual stuff - post op major GI surgery, big 2 week wait stuff, alcoholic liver disease etc etc. We’ve been warned by the network to expect a terrible winter as the usual flus and respiratory viruses make a resurgence coupled with another potential covid spike.

We are all absolutely dreading it. This is NOT SUSTAINABLE but it feels like no one is listening.

Sorry, that was a bit of a rant

Apologised for not having an understanding…. Just seven on ventilators and you can’t cope?

I used to nurse in UK and was a member of the union, they weren't very high profile then (15 years ago). What are they doing to help their members now? After all you are paying them to support you. I'd be interested to know.

Paediatrics. Staffing levels are critical. Recruitment is impossible, with gaps at all levels. We weren't hit hard last winter, but now all the social distancing is over, and the babies and children are catching every bug going. I've never seen anything like it. This time of year, we've normally little emergency work, and can focus on clearing elective work before the winter hits. We're having to cancel electives, and still have no beds. I have never seen so many truly sick babies at this time of year, not in over 20 years. The winter is expected to be worse. Much worse. But we're already full. t's crazy, and we're all having to work extra to cover gaps. I don't know how long I can keep this up. How long any of us can keep this up.

@Talktalkchat well it depends how big her ITU is and how many staff they have. It's more the fact that the ventilated patients are proned which requires far more care and lots of people to move the patient. If the ITU has 8 or 10 beds say, 7 is a lot for an ITU of that size.

@Talktalkchat ICU safe staffing requires high numbers of nurses compared to wards. Covid care takes large numbers of staff. I read that one covid patient prevents 43 other patients getting care they need. (Can't find that source but you get the picture...covid in icu is enormously draining)

People think that one or two covid patients shouldn't impact staffing but they do and disproportionately.

I am 20% staffing down. We are facing a surge in healthcare needs without the staff we need. Everyone in the NHS knows there is a staffing crisis which is not going to get better

The fact that we now have 2 ICUs (covid/non covid) is logistically a nightmare. Plus the need for runners outside covid wards to get things is a further drain on staffing. From a patient POV if you are a HDU 'recovering' from covid patient you are still stuck amongst very ill patients. Can't imagine how psychologically damaging that would be tbh but also from a rehab perspective.

Our trust is sinking
Worst of winter pressures in September.
We can’t just keep cancelling elective work as a long term plan