Deputy mayor on frontline praises ‘community at its best’

THE deputy mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Council has said efforts to defeat the coronavirus pandemic have seen “the community at its best”.

Alongside being deputy mayor of the council, Cllr Carol Andrews is a frontline staff nurse at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr.

Councillor Andrews, who represents the Bargoed Ward, has supported thousands of patients in her job over the years, but had praise for every worker who has put themselves in the line of duty during this unprecedented time.

She said: “My role includes admitting patients, performing observations (blood pressure, temp, pulse, oxygen saturations and respirations), assisting with hygiene and diet, administering medication, liaising with other members of the team, discharging patients and liaising with relatives. The reality of the situation, especially during this period, has meant although most patients make a recovery, unfortunately there have been some who have not.”

Being an active councillor, deputy mayor and frontline NHS nurse can have its challenges, but it’s one that Cllr Andrews said she embraces. Cllr Andrews said her experiences working in the NHS and helping the community in her Bargoed ward since the lockdown has seen the community pulling together more than before.

Fellow NHS worker Cllr Shayne Cook says that since the COVID epidemic began he has continued in his role as a county councillor and as a quality patient safety officer for the NHS. Cllr Cook said: “At times it has been a struggle but also rewarding as I have helped residents with ward issues and supported businesses with funding applications while carrying out my day-to-day duties in the NHS.”