Tea and sympathy on menu for new parents
THERE is no champagne or caviar finer than the cup of tea and slice of buttered toast that is handed to you straight after you’ve had a baby!
Hundreds of staff keep the catering and household departments running day and night, and Hazel Cunningham is taking all the added pressure in her stride!
“Not a huge amount has changed – the babies haven’t stopped coming anyway!” says Hazel, who has certainly seen thousands of new arrivals come and go over her decade on the labour wards.
“We are much more aware of washing our hands and keeping a distance, and we can’t go between wards, and we must keep the virus away from mammies and babies, as they are both so vulnerable.”
Hazel says in a way the staff have been stepping in as their family, as visiting restrictions are so tight.
“We are trying to keep everyone positive, and get them home as soon as possible, as they have been missing their partners and other children a lot, and my heart goes out to the poor grannies who can’t get their hands on the new babies,” she adds.
“It’s such a worrying and anxious time, and we have tried to make everything as homely as we can.”
She says the whole staff have been blown away by the generosity of people and businesses in the town.
“We can’t believe the amount of food and goodies that have been sent into the hospital from local businesses, it has been incredible,” says Hazel, who lives in Brookville with her family.
“We’ve had pizzas and Easter Eggs for all the staff, and Penney’s sent in care packages with things like shower gel and pyjamas, so it has really helped a lot, while we are just getting on with it, staying as positive as we can”.