Celebrating BWC Spirit
We are highlighting the amazing things our colleagues have done and achieved during the pandemic.
Our teams have bravely stood by the side of our patients, changed how they have worked to keep key and emergency services running and gone beyond the Trust to help colleagues in other parts of the NHS.
They have done so with an approach and spirit that is uniquely BWC and we want to celebrate that and what has been achieved.
From frontline clinical colleagues to our unseen and often unsung heroes in labs, offices and in our corridors - everyone has had a part to play and we’re sharing some of their stories over the next two weeks.
If you would like to thank individuals or teams either by sharing some kind words, pictures or a short video we would love to see them. You can submit your messages, pictures or videos by emailing bwc.communications@nhs.net
Urgent Care
By Marie Murphy, Lead Nurse, Urgent Care
What was your experience of the pandemic?
The pandemic was and is still a really challenging time for the Urgent Care (UC) team. The team as a whole are used to working under pressure but this was a different kind of pressure. The Emergency Department (ED) team had to split over two areas green (asymptomatic) and orange (symptomatic) which meant that all of our resources/equipment/staff/leadership were diluted. The throughput of patients going to PAU/HDU was massively increased due to the pandemic. All patients who were admitted into the hospital were via these areas which created a massive workload for the teams.
What was the hardest part?
The hardest part was not being able to interact with our patients and families as we would prior to the pandemic. Having to bring a child into hospital is always an anxious time and not only were we having to provide care at arm’s length we were also only able to allow one parent to accompany the child. Not knowing if parents and children were positive or negative also generated a lot of anxiety amongst the team.
How did you cope?
Remaining supportive of one another. Taking a pragmatic approach. Keeping staff safe and providing time to talk in a safe space. Worked flexibly. Communicating effectively with our patients and families about the situation and what controls we had in place to support them. Ensuring that our patients and families were provided with reassurance during a very challenging time.
What did you learn?
Being flexible and working differently really helps to maintain resilience within a team. We can respond to an ever-changing environment. As a team, we have streamlined some of our processes and changed some of our practices, some of these changes are now well-embedded and will continue long into the future. Had it not been for the pandemic we may not have changed so dramatically.
How do you think it changed the team?
I think the pandemic allowed my teams to step outside of UC and experience other areas. A lot of the staff volunteered for mutual aid which demonstrated all elements of the BWC trust values. These values were also displayed by people who stayed behind to run the BWC services
Beyond your team, who has inspired you during the pandemic?
The organisation as a whole inspired me.