‘Tears and painkillers’ Life on the front line for hospital staff
‘I’VE never seen so much stress-related staff sickness. A lot of people sit in the bathroom and cry because they’re so stressed. That’s the only place they can go.”
Those are the words of Southmead Hospital worker Kate (not her real name), who says she and her colleagues are exhausted and desperately struggling to cope in the pandemic.
In an interview with the Post, the healthcare assistant painted a harrowing picture of life on the coronavirus frontline.
In April last year, Kate told how she and hundreds of other zerohour contract staff at Southmead were battling to even get one shift a week, as scheduled surgeries were suspended and some wards closed.
This feels like a distant memory to her now. There were 81 Covid patients in Southmead Hospital as of Government data from January 5, but she says this has since risen to 153.
Kate claims:
» she and some colleagues are using pain medication to get through gruelling shifts
» Southmead staff shortages have led to some workers being overwhelmed by the workload
» exhaustion has caused a staff exodus, in a vicious cycle which has left the remaining workers even more stretched
» many of the Covid patients are in their 20s or 30s, and suffering badly from the virus.
Recently Kate has often been the only healthcare assistant in a Covid ward with around 20 patients, she says.
“I’ve got to answer all the patients’ bells, do all the washes, move patients, help the nurses,” she said. “In normal times you would have eight healthcare assistants on a ward.
“I’ve worked in mental health wards before, where there is a rule you need to have eight staff on a ward. I think it should be the same in a Covid ward.
“The bells are going non-stop. You could work non-stop and never ever get through all the stuff you need to.
“I do 12-hour days. Your body hurts afterwards. You don’t sit down all day and you’re moving a lot of people, rolling them over to avoid pressure injuries.
“Most healthcare assistants have bad backs because you’re running round like a lunatic. I know people using pain medication to get through shifts. I do myself, because of my back.”
The staff shortage has worsened the physical toll on healthcare assistants, Kate says.
“If you haven’t got anyone with you to help move a patient, you’ll try and do it on your own. Even if it’s a job for two, you have to do your best on your own.
“At one point in November, when the second wave hit Bristol, I was crying and thinking I couldn’t carry on like this. I was burnt out.
“I’ve seen a lot of people leave. I know three or four healthcare assistants who have left recently. I know at least 10 who are on sick leave.
“It’s the stress. A lot of people are gone for weeks or can only work part-shifts because of it.”
The healthcare assistant works in general coronavirus wards rather than in intensive care, meaning she rarely sees the most serious cases.
“The nurses in intensive care look absolutely exhausted,” she said. “It must be really difficult for them.
“I can see marks on their faces from FFP3 [higher protection] masks - pressure injuries on their nose and face.”
Almost half of intensive care workers have turned to alcohol or had suicidal thoughts during the pandemic, according to a new survey by the Occupational Medicine journal.
Relatives of patients are not allowed to visit unless they are a carer or the patient is under palliative care. It is a necessary measure given the risk of transmission, but Kate say it has caused some issues.
“The relatives are calling all the time and there isn’t anyone here to talk to them.
“It is the patient’s responsibility to call home if they can, but the phones are ringing off the hook all the time.
“You can’t get your job done if you answer them all, but I find it difficult to leave a phone ringing. Some of the people calling in are panicking.”
Kate is a member of the staff ‘bank,’ which means she has a zerohour contract and books her shifts each week.
“One good thing is when people are struggling, the hospital offers phone calls and counselling.
“But the problem is the workload which is causing the stress in the first place. The hospital should be employing agency healthcare assistants to take the pressure off people.”
As a bank healthcare assistant, she takes home between £400 and £500 a week, but says some permanent workers are earning much less.
North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) says it offers a “huge range” of staff wellbeing services including oneto-one counselling, psychological support and physiotherapy.
The trust’s director of nursing and quality, Helen Blanchard, said: “Like hospitals across the country we are under intense pressure at the moment, putting all our efforts into caring for patients with Covid19 and other critical conditions.
“We are so grateful to our staff who we can see are working very hard in challenging circumstances, and we’re doing everything we can to actively support them with ongoing fatigue, stress and uncertainty.
“Everyone can do their bit by following hands, face, space and staying at home so that we can bring down the number of cases of the virus, save lives and protect the NHS.”
At one point in November, when the second wave hit Bristol, I was crying and thinking I couldn’t carry on like this. I was burnt out. Healthcare assistant ‘Kate’