Nurse’s brave plan saves 50 patients from virus threat
A QUICK-THINKING nurse saved 50 care home residents from the threat of coronavirus after creating an isolation ward in a communal area.
Maria Spollin, 50, managed to keep all of her patients safe after 13 fell ill.
Five residents at Church Farm at Skylarks, in West Bridgford, Notts, tested positive for coronavirus on March 22, while eight more displayed symptoms.
As we reported in Thursday’s Daily Express all 13 were immediately isolated within the home, while devastated relatives were warned their loved-ones’ lives were in severe danger.
A team of 18 staff members volunteered to work exclusively in the isolation zone, which saw beds placed in a communal lounge area.
Prevented
Due to the residents’ condition, keeping each person isolated in their own bedroom would have been impossible.
Against all odds, not only did all 13 survive but the virus was prevented from spreading to the remaining 37 residents.
Maria said: “We decided that anybody who was showing symptoms should be isolated, and once the first patient showed signs of a cough and temperature our plan swung into action.
“I was very aware I was potentially putting them at risk. People became very sick and we had to have those difficult discussions with relatives about the potential worst outcome and would they want us to send people to hospital or leave them here with us.”
Despite continuing concerns, the home has proudly declared it has now been virus-free for over a fortnight.
Home director Patrick
Atkinson said: “It has been an incredible achievement by Maria and her team. Her action plan undoubtedly saved lives.”
The first resident to fall ill was retired British Army brigadier Peter Stevenson. He celebrated his 86th birthday on the day the home declared itself virus-free.
Peter’s daughter Julia Murphy said: “Dad was coming up to 86. I was thinking I can’t even get in to see him to say goodbye. We’re incredibly blessed to have such a fabulous team here. I am just so relieved everyone is getting better.”