Medics face battle to get school place for children

RISE IN DEMAND FOR ON-SITE LEARNING IS BEING BLAMED

INTENSIVE care nurses and doctors are spending breaks and days off trying to secure school places for their children because schools are too full, according to one hospital worker.

A nurse, who works on a University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust intensive care ward, said she had fought to get her young son into the classroom, but colleagues have not been able to.

“It took lots of calls and lots of e-mails and eventually me talking to the chief executive of the trust for them to let my son go to school,” said the nurse, who did not want to be named.

“I think 25 per cent of my colleagues can’t get their children into school.

“They are spending their breaks and days off trying to sort this out so they can be at work saving lives.

“It’s very difficult for parents as a lot of us working on intensive care and in the hospital have partners who are also working for the NHS or are key workers.

“We have gone from being applauded and sent free food and having all the support to having to fight to get our children a place at school so we can continue our work.”

Some schools have up to 70 per cent of pupils attending lessons, despite the latest national lockdown.

The government’s expansion of key worker criteria is one of the issues education bosses say is to blame.

Jane Moore, chairman of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Resilience Forum Education Group, said the demand for at-school learning was “significant”.

“School leaders are working exceptionally hard to ensure those children who need to be learning on-site can be.

“But parents and carers who are critical workers should keep their children at home if they can.

“This is a real moment for us to work collectively, keep schools safe.

“We know some schools have had requests for up to 70 per cent of their pupils to be on-site, whereas for others the numbers are more manageable.

“That is why we are working closely with school leaders to make sure children are safe and we have as many children learning at home as possible.”

The nurse said she was prompted to contact the Mercury after reading her colleagues’ harrowing experiences of life on the frontline.

“Everything they say is true. It is impossible not to think about work when you are not there and even on your breaks,” she said.

“It is very physically demanding and emotionally demanding. We are holding patients’ hands as they ask us if they will die.

“We are seeing the fear in their eyes as they are told they are very poorly.

“The days are very exhausting, at home there is no time to rest as we have to teach children and lots of people have no one to look after their children because their schools don’t have places.”

The trust has said support was available for parents.