When I went back to the hospital to start my cancer treatment recently, I noticed a small band of protesting NHS staff outside. It had been a few years since I was last treated here, so after seeing the picket line, I wondered about how things had changed for the hospital staff in post-pandemic life.
I call it post-pandemic, but Covid-19 still lives on. From time-to-time I hear of friends who have contracted it for the second, third, or perhaps more, times. They tell me that it’s not as bad now, as the effects of the virus are weaker. But for people like me, who have health problems, or those who are vulnerable, it still remains a serious hazard. Thankfully my friends know this and make sure to take precautions around me, face masks, hand gel, etc.
So returning to hospital allowed me to make some observations about changes that have occurred since those pre-pandemic days.
As a Patient
As a cancer patient, I now have to take regular Covid-19 tests — one two days before a blood test, and another on the following day when I have treatment. If I contract Covid, I cannot receive treatment until I have fully recovered, and have had two negative tests.
Cancer patients also have to be extra careful as treatment can lower the immune system, so it becomes easier to contract Covid, and harder for the body to fight it.
In the Hospital
On the day of my first treatment, I noticed how many visitors to the hospital were NOT wearing masks. Shocking as well as surprising since they are in a hospital. The staff wear masks, but I guess some people don’t take that as enough hint to respect the wellbeing of the staff and patients. After all, you don’t need to have the effects of Covid-19 to be a carrier in order to spread it.
Wearing a mask in a hospital shouldn’t be an overlooked thought, or an embarrassed action. It shows respect for the staff, and care about the patients they look after. Making sure your hands are clean, whether with hand gel or soap and water, is an obvious protection to those who need it. These are simple things to do.
When I went into the waiting room, a nurse gave me a plastic chair to sit on as she had just cleaned the main waiting room chairs, and they were still damp. Cleaning is certainly being done at a very thorough and regular pace, and not only by the nursing staff. The porters were wiping down the wheelchairs, with alcohol wipes, after each one was used — the handles, seats and backs. Nothing is being left to chance.
Another observation was the very noticeable, and palpable, stress of the staff. There is a shortage of staff in the Oncology unit, so waiting times can be long, especially as the chemotherapy treatments take a long time. I’ve had chemotherapy, and you can be there an hour while having treatment. The staff are also having to cover for those who are off sick, so they are run off their feet trying to get everyone seen to.
In Conclusion
The hospitals and staff are clearly still taking Covid-19 very seriously. Their determination to keep on looking after patients, in spite of the risk to their mental health, is more than commendable. It’s good to say thank you to them, and say that you recognise their hard work, but as the old adage goes ‘actions speaks louder than words’, and they certainly deserve that more.
This article was originally published on Medium.
Charlotte Clark 