The crews and care home staff working hard to keep us safe on Christmas Day
NURSE ALANA AMONG THOSE SACRIFICING CELEBRATIONS
CHRISTMAS Day is a hugely important day of celebration for people up and down the country, giving them the chance to celebrate and reunite with family members.
But, not everyone will be given that same opportunity.
To keep the general public safe, look after the vulnerable and keep the country running, various professions will still require people to work over the festive period.
A spokesperson for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue service said: “Wishing our communities a safe and happy Christmas and New Year and if needed our crews are operating business as usual, providing a 24/7 emergency response to ensure our communities remain safe over the festive season.”
A spokesperson for University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) said: “At UHDB, all of our services will be running as normal throughout the entire festive period.
“Obviously, other NHS services in the community will also be available, such as the 5 Urgent Treatment Centres in Derbyshire, minor injuries units in Tamworth and Lichfield, and local GPs.”
Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group added: “Primary Care services will be available in Derby and Derbyshire throughout the Christmas and New Year period, thanks to the hard work of teams in GP practices and at DHU Healthcare.
“Teams at each practice will decide how best to provide care for their patients, but analysis of demand in previous years shows an increase in demand in the days just before Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, followed by reduced demand on those days, especially in the afternoons.
“In order to cover this period most effectively, many GP practices will be working together to provide as many appointments as possible during those busiest periods.
“For patients at those practices, DHU Healthcare will then provide an out-of-hours service from 4pm on December 24 and December 31.
“Patients should check the website of their practice for specific local arrangements during the Christmas and New Year period.”
Derbyshire police also confirmed they would continue to operate a 24-hour service across the entire Christmas period and would be unaffected by any seasonal changes.
National Highways senior network planner Frank Bird is looking forward to working Christmas Day.
Having already worked the Christmas shift on a total of 14 years, Frank is no stranger to the trials and tribulations of the festive working day.
He said: “I’ve been in this job for 17 years and I’ve managed to work 14 of them. It surprised me the first year I did the job just how many people are on the move on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Sadly, there are those we have to rescue if they have a bump with another vehicle.
“Our dedicated control room teams and traffic officer patrols are geared up to help those travelling over the Christmas period, so when you’re driving places and you see our traffic officer 4x4s going up and down the motorways, spare a thought because they all have families and are away from loved ones on Christmas Day, but are providing a much-needed service.
“We know from experience that peak travel times can vary in the run-up to Christmas, and so it helps if drivers can check traffic conditions before heading out to help keep traffic flowing.
“And I’d urge motorists to be prepared before setting off. Almost half of breakdowns can be easily avoided if motorists carry out simple vehicle checks before their journeys.
“Usually my Christmas is postponed to Boxing Day. We’re not having our Christmas celebrations until January 2 this year, which is the first opportunity I can get the family together.
“I go through until the 31st. I can’t have a festive drink in that time, of course, as I never know when I’m going to be called upon.”
Rainbows Hospice, among other end-of-life care facilities, will also be operating over the festive period.
Alana Ray, a nurse for Rainbows, will be working on Christmas Day for the second time, and is attempting to make it as enjoyable as possible for their families.
She said: “The build-up to Christmas is quite nice, we try and fill it with fun and activities for staff members and children that are here at the hospice at the time.
“Me personally I’m working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, but fortunately we do kind of work short shifts.
“A lot of people work 12-hour shifts, but over the main Christmas days we work shorter shifts, so everyone has at least half of one of the days.
“The staff that are in on those days try and make it special for each other, and then you just kind of work around it and you might have a different Christmas Day instead with your family.”
The Derby Telegraph’s sister website, Derbyshire Live, will also continue to serve the Derbyshire community, with reporters working throughout the Christmas period. We will continue to bring you any breaking news stories that take place.