Thread by @T4Recovery

👇#NHSVoices

"I volunteered for the Nightingale Hospitals but was never needed...

...but I’ve watched patients become so unwell due to being too frightened to come into hospital or due to treatments being delayed…

🧵 [Thread]

2/ "I've been a nurse for ten years and now work as a specialist in heart failure.

At the start of Covid we had to suspend all outpatient services, a few of my team stayed to perform telephone clinics and man the phones for patients but the rest of us went up to the wards.

3/ "We created a new coronary care unit staffed by specialists so that the current unit could be turned into high dependency to allow it to take more ventilated patients.

4/ "I spent a couple of shifts sat in this empty ward until it was decided we would go back downstairs until needed. We were never needed.

At one point, for at least four weeks we had two wards closed as they were empty.

5/ "We quickly went back to seeing heart failure patients as they were becoming sick. Even though we weren’t supposed to see them face to face, these patients needed us.

I kept waiting for the wave to come.

I volunteered for the Nightingale Hospitals but was never needed.

6/ "I became sceptical about Covid when our cardiology ward which had many patients awaiting bypass surgery or in with very poor heart functions became closed due to a Covid outbreak.

Half the patients and staff tested positive.

7/ "None had symptoms and none required oxygen or intensive care.

Some of these patients had heart functions of less than 30% and would be extremely vulnerable.

The same thing then happened on the stroke and elderly care ward.

8/ "How could these people not get sick from this 'deadly' virus?

I’ve watched patients become so unwell due to being too frightened to come into hospital or due to treatments being delayed.

9/ "This year our theatres cancelled all ops between January and March just in case Covid cases soared.

They never did.

Why were we delaying treatment for current conditions ‘just in case’ people became sick with a virus?

10/ "I'm disgusted to say many colleagues have enjoyed this.

The quietest year I’ve ever known in an acute hospital.

And I’ve seen them writing about this tough year or enjoying congratulations from the public on social media.

11/ "People who have been in the exact same situation as me, so I know first hand they haven’t had it tough!

And when it comes to Covid rules it’s all ridiculous. My boss tested positive, I sit around 30cm from her five days a week.

12/ "Our office has been deemed 'Covid safe' so we don’t wear masks, we share food, we carry on as normal behind closed doors.

Yet I was told as we are 'Covid safe' I do not need to isolate after her positive result!

How does this make sense?

13/ "I'm so disgusted with the NHS and I no longer feel proud to be a nurse.

However I love my patients and I will continue to do my best for them.

I could go on for so much longer but I feel sad thinking about it. And anyway, who will listen?"

#NHSVoices is Recovery's new outlet for NHS staff to bring to light concerns about how Covid policies are affecting patients.

We have to do this anonymously because we know many are frightened to speak out.

NHS staff can submit their stories here: timeforrecovery.org/nhs

Intimidating NHS staff into silence is very dangerous.

Without urgent action to fix the NHS crisis now, patients will suffer. Many will die needlessly.

We know there has been a big problem with hospital and care-home acquired infections, too...
theguardian.com/world/2021/feb…

If we don't fix the NHS crisis now - and address problems honestly - there WILL be calls for more lockdowns.

But of course every lockdown just makes the underlying problem worse.

@ mention your MP in the comments - make sure they KNOW this!
lbc.co.uk/news/nhs-facin…

NHS staff can submit their stories here: timeforrecovery.org/nhs/

And you can read more #NHSVoices here: timeforrecovery.org/nhs-voices/

#NHS #Lockdown #TimeForRecovery