Any pregnant nurses/midwives/doctors/caters out there?

[HeyDW96]

Hello! Wondering if anyone is in the same-ish boat as myself with a patient facing role, pre 28 weeks gestation and currently struggling with the impact of covid on the health service or worried about the announcement today that we are again facing huge numbers of covid cases!

Are you working non clinically or continuing to work patient facing? The longer this goes on and the larger my bump gets the more I am pushed towards non patient facing!

@sohe I am so horrified to hear how unsupportive your work has been. It never ceases to amaze me how toxic an organisation, built to help people, can be towards its staff.

Do you have a union you could contact about this? They can't just shove you on nights for a month and forget about you - do you and your colleagues regularly do weeks of nights, or have they picked you out for it?

You have our full support!

Just shows how variable each Trust is doesn't it. Quite scary it is a postcode lottery.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees

These were the guidelines publish just before Christmas
Social distancing is must not matter what gestation, if you can't then u should be working from home or on special leave full pay
Do not go to work if you do not have a risk assessment, covid or no covid times, should also be referred to occ health

I hear what you unsupported girls are saying, we're working for an organisation that does little to protect us, yet we are expected to protect everyone in our care. It's about time they started looking after us a little too!

Nurse working in primary care, almost 12 weeks now and will be patient facing until 28 weeks. I'm having monthly risk assessments to check it's still 'safe' for me. In theory all the patients I see are asked screening questions, told to wear a mask, have their temp checked before they get to me. I feel safe at the moment and would prefer not to shield at all as I will go insane.

I'm an ACP in primary care (paramedic). I'm 20 weeks still doing the care home rounds, home visits and face to face appointments in clinic but nothing suspected to be covid, although you never know how it presents these days and patients lie! Work tried to make me wfh at 8 weeks when I told them but I'm half way through my prescribing module and need to be there so I politely declined. Have been told I have to wfh at 28 weeks, no negotiations!

Hi there. Does anyone have any updates? Just found out my ward will now be a red ward so all patients will be positive. Still no risk assessment done. On annual leave this week but when I go back will be 16 weeks. Guidance very unclear as it just states caring for covid or suspected covid patients should be avoided. How can I avoid them if the whole ward is positive? I have said I would like to be temporarily redeployed to an amber ward but don’t think they liked that idea. Tired to ring occy health and couldn’t get through. HR where only bothered about getting a risk assessment done, no advice on how to reduce risks identified in my non existent risk assessment! X

@ExcitingTimes2021 it is partly your responsibility to make sure your risk assessments are done. Contact your line manager urgently and insist this is completed before you go back from annual leave and self refer to occupational health if you haven't already had a consultation (they will have an email address too). If your line manager isn't being responsive contact their line manager.

I'm an NHS worker and work on a ward with Covid patients but don't provide clinical care for these. I'm almost 15 weeks at the moment and will remain patient facing until 28 weeks when I will work from home as per national policy for healthcare workers. I agree, I am not sure how you will be deemed safe to work on an all covid ward, although if you only have some Covid patients you may be fine. I suspect you will be listed for redeployment elsewhere as I'm sure there would be plenty of other places you could work. Red ward doesn't necessarily mean all Covid, it could mean you may just have some. Worth checking with your manager what the plan is when you do your risk assessment. Hope you manage to get it sorted.

@MGee123 thanks for the reply. I have made several requests for a risk assessment to be completed so I’m not just expecting it to happen automatically. I am being proactive. Verbal and written. It’s just keeps getting put off. My first request for one was when I was 6 weeks, so has been nearly 10 weeks since my first request. I have also contacted HR on a few occasions to escalate my concerns but they have given no advise except to ask again and again. It’s just a very sticky situation at the moment.

My ward unfortunately is now a full red ward. Full covid positive. Under normal (non pregnant) circumstances I wouldn’t have a problem with this as I have cared for positive patients throughout, including my previous ward being one of the first in my hospital to become a full red ward, so I’m well aware of what is expected on the full red wards. I will be providing close contact clinical and personal care for these patients so distancing will not be an option.

I hope you are right. It’s just causing me and awful lot of stress at the moment. More about the unknown more then anything. It’s just so frustrating. I’m going to try occy health again Monday morning. X

I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being overly sensitive about the situation. I just can’t help but feel like more should be done, like policies say, to ensure safety on the ward. I’m not expecting special treatment just coz of pregnancy, I just want at least the minimum to be done to identify risks and solutions. But I honestly feel like the not even the minimum is being done despite requests. Hopefully it will be get sorted x

@ExcitingTimes2021 if your line manager is being useless then contact theirs. They have a duty to keep you safe at work and it sounds like they are failing at this. If your ward is entirely Covid it sounds entirely logical that you would need to be redeployed and I would put that in an email to your line manager and their line manager, explaining you won't be returning to your existing ward post A/L. That might get some response?! Sorry you're battling with this - they should be looking after you better. I'm sure Occ health would support you not returning to your existing ward.

I'm sorry OP this sounds really stressful I would feel the same if in your position.
I'm really surprised I'm not patient facing at all any more (34 weeks) but would not have been expected to have seen covid patients at any point. My job however is not usually 100% ward based.
My friend who is also pregnant and a med reg asked during second trimester for an extra person on shift to see "red" patients as she had a concern if there was an arrest she wouldn't be able to help. Instead of putting someone else on they just took her off the on calls. It seems bizarre to me that they would be comfortable with you seeing covid patients.
My trust has a specific pregnant worker covid risk assessment, do you have anything similar? If so I'd fill it out and present it to them.
I'm still going in to do work in the lab, but that's my decision noone has asked or expected me to. In fact, I don't ever see any other pregnant NHS workers in the hospital any more.
I hope you get some answers. Maybe your midwife/GP could support you? Stand firm x

I’m 25 weeks and told I’ll still be patient facing clinical after 28 weeks. (No confirmed covid patients). Our risk assessment is very wishy washy and actually gives no solid guidelines. I’m seeing midwife on Monday and I’m hoping she’ll be able to advise on what I should be doing.

@Nat4392 national guidance is that you should not be in direct patient contact after 28 weeks (see latest RCOG guidance). If you can't work from home they could redeploy you to an administrative role or otherwise to you would have to be at home on paid leave if they can't accommodate you anywhere. Ask to discuss with your manager and ask for a referral to Occ health who should make recommendations for you.

@MGee123 I actually work in a dentist so we have no occ health/HR etc. My manager is just following the BDA guidelines which literally state “we believe the dental environment is a safe one but it “seems right” that pregnant staff should wear a mask”. That is an actual quote. There is no opportunity for me to wfh or even do admin duties and I am highly doubtful they would suspend me on full pay.

@Nat4392 I used to be a dental nurse before I did my nurse training. You could be at more risk then any of us as the majority of dental procedures are AGPs. As a dental professional you are still a health care professional and so the guidance still applies to you. At 28 weeks you should be moved to a non patient facing role. It’s not just for doctors and nurses. Are you a member of a union such as BADN who could be offering you advise and support?
There is loads of information out there, prior to 28 weeks it’s very wishy washy, but after 28 weeks it’s quite clear, non patient facing, work from home if possible, suspend on full pay if suitable alternatives can’t be arranged. Good luck!! X

@ExcitingTimes2021 I won’t be doing AGPs after 28 weeks but there’s no talk of me coming out of surgery. I’m not a member of a union unfortunately. It’s complicated because it’s a small independent practice and I know I’m needed clinically, (even though I told them I was pregnant literally as soon as I found out so they’ve had plenty of time to prepare). I don’t want to be a dick and refuse to work when I know there’s no scope for me to work elsewhere but I also know I need to put myself first. It’s so bloody complicated!

@ExcitingTimes2021 they shouldnt be knowingly exposing you to covid positive patients, so I would say they should either redeploy you to an area that is not red or give you non clinical duties! It's really hard to stand up for yourself when you are in a caring profession but you have to look after your baby too.

Well I contacted occy health, while they where lovely on the phone, they didn’t really offer much advise. They just said a pregnancy risk assessments needs to be done ASAP and actions followed from the risk assessment. So I have a feeling they are just going to tell me to wear PPE and get on with it. I was hoping I would be contacted today by my ward but so far nothing. I feel like I should contact them and ask for an update but I already asked them on Friday to please keep me updated. It’s just a mess!!
Iv called the community midwife team aswell for some advise so just waiting to hear back from them as to what they recommend. It’s the uncertainty that’s causing the most anxiety so just wish they had done my risks assessments when I asked them too x

@ExcitingTimes2021 it’s so annoying that no one seems to know what they’re doing!
I saw my midwife today and she’s said not to be patient facing >28 weeks. I told my manager and she asked where that was written. I said it’s gov guidelines plus my midwife actually told me. She then said gov guidelines don’t count for healthcare staff because we wear ppe! She said unless it was in black and white that I shouldn’t be clinical, they’re having none of it. I honestly don’t know what to do!

The lack of support sone of you are experiencing is horrendous! Honestly I would take stress induced sick leave if I was asked to be patient facing after 28 weeks. RCOG have been clear enough. I'm clinical but allocated negative patients, pending if theres no one else to see them. I wont be asked to see positive patients. From 28 weeks I'll be none patient facing in an office some where. Generally support has been good, I've been in this situation pre pregnancy as DH is ECV. I moved out in the first wave (and saw Covid patients of course) but couldn't do it for second wave as couldn't face leaving toddler again for so many weeks. If we cant be kept safe we shouldn't be there, dont feel guilty and look after yourselves first. No one thanks you for the sacrifice.

@Nat4392 your manger is wrong about that we wear PPE so government guidelines don’t count. There are specific government guidelines for all pregnant employees, infact, the second line of the guidance is that pregnant healthcare workers are included! So she obviously hasn’t bothered to read it! Government guidelines get there information from the RCOG and RCM. I have included a link to the government guidelines for pregnant employees and the RCOG guidelines for pregnant health care workers, which does clearly state PPE is not enough when you are over 28 weeks!! I hope this helps. Your practice manager clearly doesn’t know her job very well if she can’t find guidelines a simple google search turned up! If all else fails contact your midwife and GP again and they will support you.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees

www.pat.nhs.uk/Coronavirus/HR/RCOG%20guidance%20for%20pregnant%20healthcare%20workers.pdf

www.rcog.org.uk/en/news/updated-advice-for-pregnant-women-who-are-working-in-the-nhs-and-other-work-settings-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/

@ExcitingTimes2021 thanks for the advice. I’m just going to bombard her with all the info I can. I actually didn’t see the second line on the gov guidelines about healthcare workers. I’m seeing my midwife again at 28 weeks so I’ll explain the situation if it’s not sorted by then and see if she can do me a letter or something.

@Fispi I’m only entitled to SSP so going off sick isn’t an option!

@ExcitingTimes2021 they have to pay you special leave after 28 weeks if you choose not to work patient facing, you shouldn't suffer any loss of earnings as it is recommended that we are able to socially distance during the third trimester (which you can't really do wether you are patient facing or not IMO) I'm leaving at 28 weeks and quite frankly cannot wait, we don't actually owe our employer anything and the more we give the more they take in some cases, they've really failed their pregnant employees in some areas and it takes a lot to stand up to them and put yourself and your baby first!

@HeyDW96 I will only be 16 weeks by my next shift. I emailed my manager requesting a risk assessment prior to my next shift followed up with a phone call. Was told they would ring me back the following day. It’s been 2 days and no contact made. I just want to know where I stand and what will be done prior to my next shift to reduce risks. I’m feeling more and more let down and very disappointed that a simple risk assessment is being dragged out for so long. X