Foreword

Welcome to the Gateshead NHSFT e-book, The Gat Chronicles, which is a collec stories directly related to experiences of the people who our organisation. Initially we focussed on stories which com the period of the Covid-19 pan but eventually we will gathe stories which reflect the ever-changing nature of the work we do, and the experiences that we live through.

Working in healthcare whilst rewarding for many, can also be extremely challenging. We work alongside families who are going through joyful times, as well as families who are going through the most difficult of times. We are privileged to witness life as it begins, and of course life when it ends. We are there to support our patients and their loved ones as they battle with injury, disease and the subsequent treatment – and always with a focus on making their experience as positive as it can be, often through the most challenging of circumstances.

And yet we are all simply human beings who have our own joys to experience and challenges to face.During the Covid-19 pandemic, NHS staff were applauded on a weekly basis during the ‘clap for carers’, a demonstration of the esteem in which NHS workers were held as they worked tirelessly to care for patients during those worrying times. But we know that our people were also facing their own worries, had their own challenges, and were often experiencing the most difficult of personal circumstances such as being separated from family members for weeks and months at a time.

We wanted to dedicate a space to capture some of those experiences –what was it like to work in our organisation during the Covid-19 pandemic? What were the things that our people were afraid of? What were the things that brought them joy? What made them able to get out of bed each day to face another difficult shift?

We hope never to see anything like this again in our lifetime, but feel that it’s important to capture a snapshot of that time. We look back now and it seems extraordinary that we wouldn’t be able to offer our colleagues and friends a comforting embrace as they wept with frustration, sadness, anger…and yet that was the reality!

This e-book aims to be a repository of a moment in our shared history. A space where we don’t try to solve problems, learn lessons or apportion blame – we simply share our stories and recognise our shared humanity.

This project is ongoing, and as we gather more stories the e-book will grow, develop and generate new chapters. For now though, we are grateful to those people who have shared their experiences with us.

I hope you enjoy this book, and I look forward to continuing to watch it grow over the coming months and years.

Gill Findley

Chief Nurse and Professional Lead for Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals