What's it like to work in a hospital during a pandemic?
The phrase may you live in interesting times has been touted countless times, and indeed one cannot deny that it is upon us. Never in many years have I thought that I would be working in a hospital during a pandemic.
Ecolier and other TSR healthcare professionals (feel free to join in) would like to give you a day-by-day update of what it's like to be working during a pandemic.
Ecolier is a neurology registrar doctor, based at a relatively large Northern tertiary hospital. He is not usually involved in acute medical admissions. Will he be re-deployed? Re-trained to look after other unwell patients? Stay tuned - daily (possibly more often) updates with photos (obviously patient confidentiality not-withstanding).
Feel free to pitch in or ask questions to healthcare professionals in this thread, and I / other TSR helpfuls will answer them here. No medical diagnosis questions please - call 111 or follow the official government websites for more information.
All off-topic posts will be removed.
Meanwhile, here are some useful websites about the COVID-19 outbreak. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
Have you seen any changes in how your hospital is operating already to allow it to cope better with the pandemic?
Well we get regular emails about what the hospital is doing. One of them is that all PPEs (personal protection equipment) including masks and alcohol gel is being withdrawn from the wards to be held centrally.
Interestingly, so far our clinics are still face to face. I have a clinic tomorrow and have not yet been told it'll change to telephone (or video there is no way our hospital can do this technologically btw).
Do you think the UK should follow South Korea's example by ramping up testing for Covid-19? Also more generally, how are you doing? I hope you're doing well.
@ecolier Do you think the UK should follow South Korea's example by ramping up testing for Covid-19? Also more generally, how are you doing? I hope you're doing well.
@ecolier Do you think the UK should follow South Korea's example by ramping up testing for Covid-19?
Based on current plans, no. But then we all know that plans can change every day.
One of my colleagues had a fever and myalgia last week, and wasn't tested because they are not a current inpatient. They were just told to self isolate so we're already at least one doctor down in our team.
Also more generally, how are you doing? I hope you're doing well.
What’s your opinion on the removal of the medical students from placements but the nursing students having to stay in placement?
Unfair and I think all students should at least have a choice in whether they wanted to go in or not. Unless the government enforces that all students should not go in due to increased risk of infection, then everyone should not go in.
However there are current government plans to get final year med students working as FY1s, I wouldn't be surprised if this applies to 3rd year nursing students (working as newly qualified nurses) too.