Thread by @MetroUK

‘I don’t no how much longer I can be expected to do this before I burn out.’

Matthew has worked in the NHS since he was 17.

For the first time in his career he is considering leaving the frontline as he ‘can no longer cope’ with the demands of the job.

metro.co.uk/2021/10/06/win…

While life has returned to normal for most of the British public, nurses have had ‘no freedom’ since restrictions were lifted on July 19.

The health worker had barely recovered from the first waves of the pandemic when he was moved onto a high dependency Covid unit in Wales.

Admissions there are at their highest since summer, with a worrying number of young and double jabbed people falling ill to the virus.

But there are not enough beds to manage the influx, and nowhere near enough staff to look after them.

Stretched to the limit, Matthew fears he will physically and mentally not be able to go on if the NHS is gripped by usual winter pressures on top of Covid rates and a backlog of cases.

He warned the winter crisis ‘is already here’ and will only get worse in the months to come.

He told @MetroUK: ‘We are in the winter crisis, the wards are starting to fill back up with Covid admissions, that is happening across the UK.

We think the peak will be here in the next week or two.'

‘People don’t realise that departments are filling up.

People are really ill even if they’ve been double vaccinated. It seems like the government forgot about us a long time ago, and we’ve been forgotten about in general.'

‘Nurses are in the background doing the same thing we were doing in March 2020. We did not get our freedom back.

I think the general pubic feel that [Covid] has gone away as its not reported on as much in the news.'

Matthew is doing the job of two to three people and ‘dreads’ going to work every day because of the pressure.

The exhausted nurse said a typical shift can involve scrambling to find a bed for someone with plummeting oxygen levels while caring for six or seven other patients.

Sometimes they might be in critical condition, even though he has not been trained as a critical care nurse.

‘It’s logistically impossible,’ he said.

‘The decisions you make on a daily basis, you can’t leave that at the door.'

‘You are constantly worried, agitated and anxious…you never know if there’s going to be enough beds or staff.

For me personally, I dread going to work every day. It’s dread and impending doom.'

‘We know we are going into a department or ward that’s going to be short staffed and have to do the job of two to three people.

It’s dangerous. Patients are suffering, care is compromised and incidents are going to happen.’

There are an estimated 39,000 nursing vacancies across the NHS.

Chronic staff shortages have been compounded by a rise in the number of nurses taking sick leave.

Anxiety, stress or depression remains the most common reason for staff sickness, while staff are also more at risk of chest, respiratory problems and migraines.

Matthew said there has been ‘no let up’ since the first wave, and many nurses simply can’t go on.

On top of being exhausted, their good will is wearing thin after a ‘pitiful’ 3% pay rise offer from the government and a hike in National Insurance tax to pay for NHS reforms.

‘In the beginning every one put on a stiff upper lip and got their hands dirty,’ he said.

But now after three waves of this and the 3% offer, it’s put people in such a low mood.'

‘Morale is just so low that people are going off sick. That’s not through any fault of their own, they are just burnt out. They can’t keep up with it.'

‘There’s people who have got PTSD from what they’ve seen in the ITUs. People have worked and worked to help the ward out, and now they just think they can’t do any more. It’s a lot to do with staffing rations and the pay. Nursing is not a nice place to be. ‘

Matthew said his workplace anxieties are affecting his personal life, as he comes home from a shift and has no energy to do anything.

He still loves his job but is considering moving to another part of the NHS so he can take a break from the frontline.