WCHC Staff Stories

FOREWORD Karen Howell, Chief Executive

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, deliver services, provide care to our patients and service users and it has undoubtedly changed how we all live our lives. Never did I imagine we would be responding to the biggest public health emergency of our lifetime, but we have, and I am immensely proud that, throughout, we have continued to deliver outstanding care and support to our communities. It has been wonderful to see how staff have come together, adapted to change and responded to the crisis, all so proud to wear their NHS badge.

Our ‘Big Book of Staff Stories; Reflections during COVID-19’ brings together a series of heart-warming and inspiring stories from across the Trust, capturing the amazing work of our staff during the pandemic.

Everyone has played their part to ensure we have been able to meet the needs of our patients, service users and their families. Whether staff were reassigned to support other services, returned from retirement or supported clinical colleagues to deliver outstanding care, they have all responded to the incredible pace of change with determination, passion and professionalism.

We have also adopted and embraced new technologies and innovations to not only communicate with each other, but to deliver services virtually and ensure we remain connected with our local community. Some of the stories featured in this book capture these new ways of working and these are ways we will certainly continue to embrace in the future.

I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has shared their story.

I hope you enjoy our ‘Big Book of Staff Stories; Reflections during COVID-19’.

Karen Howell Chief Executive

CHAPTER 1 - Andrea Johns

CHAPTER 11 - Judy Fairbairn

CHAPTER 2 - Project Management

CHAPTER 12 - Kim Howells

CHAPTER 3 - Emma Evans

CHAPTER 13 - Linda Gregory

CHAPTER 4 - Chien Li

CHAPTER 14 - Mick Blease

CHAPTER 5 - Children’s SALT

CHAPTER 15 - Nicola Williams

CHAPTER 6 - Daniel Brown

CHAPTER 16 - Tracy Orr

CHAPTER 7 - Debra Ollerhead

CHAPTER 17 - Claire Weaver

CHAPTER 8 - Donna Ditchfield

CHAPTER 18 - Emma Holden

CHAPTER 9 - George Taylor

CHAPTER 19 - Viv Harrison

CHAPTER 10 - Jane Naughalty

CHAPTER 1

Andrea Johns

Professional Development Lead, Cheshire East, Health Visiting “A huge shout out to the teams who have adapted and embraced the new way of working whilst also adapting to a new home life, as many have been home schooling their own children and caring for elderly relatives.�

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any of us couldn’t imagine what it is like to bring a new born baby home in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parents are often unable to introduce their baby to grandparents and the wider family or to benefit from the practical support that is so often given by close family.

Stresses that are common in the early weeks of parenthood such as coping with crying, and sleep deprivation can be intensified when coupled with dealing with the stress of the COVID-19 virus and the lockdown.

Many parents will already be juggling working from home along with home schooling their children and worrying about the long term effect on their child’s development and their mental and physical wellbeing. Children due to start school in September may not have the opportunity to visit the school and meet up with their future classmates. Parents may not have the opportunity to attend a parents evening to meet teachers, school nurses and other parents and to gain important information on school readiness.

Looking back to the freedom we had as young people, it is also hard to imagine not being able to meet up with friends and reap the benefits this brings to our mental and physical wellbeing.

We also know that for some children and young people, the social distancing measures have increased their risk and vulnerability to abuse.

The Cheshire East 0-19 and Safeguarding teams are there for these children and their families. We have adapted practice and put new procedures in place in a remarkably short space of time. Many staff are working from home with a small number in a base each day to manage the duty desk and to see clients who need a face to face visit. We have adapted to offering many contacts via a phone or video call. We have put together comprehensive guidance for all staff to ensure that the new ways of working are carried out in a safe and effective way.

A priority for the service is safeguarding; we are maintaining regular supportive contact with our vulnerable families and working in collaboration with all partner agencies to manage risk and ensure safety.

We have developed new information packs containing links to vital information on trusted websites; we send these to parents via email. This replaces paper leaflets but also contains vital up to date information around parenting and managing your health and wellbeing during the pandemic.

Paper versions are also sent to those unable to

managing your health and wellbeing during the pandemic. Paper versions are also sent to those unable to access email. These packs represent a cost saving and can be continued after the pandemic is over.

We have updated our Facebook page and seen increased page usage, engagement and reach. We have been contacted by parents via messenger and have shared videos inked to ICON (coping with crying), safe sleep, breastfeeding, emotional mental health, domestic abuse, play ideas for home, weaning, SEND, childcare etc. Our teams have also been busy making new videos on supporting mental health, Cherubs breastfeeding support, school readiness, toilet training and weaning.

A huge shout out to the teams who have adapted and embraced the new way of working whilst also adapting to a new home life, as many have been home schooling their own children and caring for elderly relatives.

CHAPTER 2

Anonymous

Project Management Reassignment

“Although I initially found it challenging, with experience I feel more confident and knowledgeable.�

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am a Senior Health Advisor working in the Fit Club team within Integrated Children’s Division. At the start of pandemic Lindsey Costello, 0-19 Service lead, offered me an opportunity to support the Project Management (PMO) team which I welcomed whole heartedly.

Following a meeting with a member of the PMO team, clarification was provided on the role and the types of tasks that I would be working on, which included supporting the project management of the COVID-19 Workforce and Training Response group. As I am currently undertaking a Programme Management Apprenticeship I was excited about having the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical context and to work closely with a specialist programme management team.

Within the role I am required to attend regular Workforce and Training virtual meetings using Teams, which has been an experience. However, this new way of working has helped me to feel more comfortable with the group and reduced the sense of formality of strategic meetings, as together each of one of us have had our struggles with technology coupled with discussions and occasional interruptions that working from home can bring.

Like all Trust staff during these unprecedented times, I have welcomed new ways of working

and enjoyed learning new skills whilst providing programme management support in monitoring and reviewing tasks and risks during meetings.

I have found the role extremely rewarding and it has provided an insight to the work that is conducted at a strategic level. Although I initially found it challenging, with experience I feel more confident and knowledgeable with the application of processes and procedures related to risk management within the Trust. Furthermore, it has allowed me to observe and monitor the amount of work that is undertaken behind the scenes to proactively manage each risk in such challenging times.

Throughout the reassignment the PMO team, specifically Millie Williams, have been excellent in offering support and guidance. As I have been working from home, the reassurance of knowing a member of my current team and members of the PMO team are available to talk through scenarios has been invaluable and helped me stay connected to the rest of the workforce. Lastly the reassignment has enabled me to feel part of a wider team to address the challenges posed by COVID 19. It has also made me feel positive about how together we have embraced new ways of working and I am excited about continuing to work in such a creative and innovation manner when I return to the 0-19 Service.

CHAPTER 3

Emma Evans

Infant Feeding Coordinator Cherubs - Infant Feeding Team, Cheshire East “We are sure this way of working will become a permanent feature in our service, even when we return to a more normal way of life.”

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ince the lockdown, as a service we have continued to see a high demand for breastfeeding support, and as a result have had to look at different ways of meeting that need whilst following guidance from the government.

Initially, finding venues to deliver face to face appointments for those mums and babies that we were unable to help over the phone, proved challenging, as nearly all the Children’s Centres closed. Our closed Facebook group requests have risen steeply over the last couple of months and we now have over 6,000 members. As a result of this we have looked at ways of increasing support through this media platform.

We recorded a short video of the team which is now on our page and other media platforms, to let mums know that we are still there to support them, and provide information on the different ways they can access that support.

We also held our first ever live Q&A session which was a great success. Debbie Grice one of the breastfeeding support workers was able to provide answers and information to a wide variety of questions during the session and we had some excellent feedback from the mums. We plan to run these on a regular basis and we are sure these will

become a permanent feature even when we return to a more normal way of life.

We have a Cherubs YouTube channel which currently has five videos on common questions/ problems that mums may have or experience and they have proved really helpful to direct mums to.

As a result of COVID-19, the breastfeeding antenatal workshops delivered by the hospitals have not been running so we are adding an antenatal video to YouTube as well. This will include ‘building a relationship with your baby in utero’, ‘how to get breastfeeding off to a good start’ and ‘managing challenges’.

Our Lactation Clinics are running by appointment only rather than the drop ins we used to run. This has allowed us to triage first to ensure that we have explored other solutions and has meant we see only those that need the face to face support.

Again this is something we want to continue as we feel it has improved not only the quality but the efficiency of the service.

CHAPTER 4

Chien Li

Senior Dental Officer Specialised Dental Service “We make sure we keep in touch; we have a WhatsApp group, and phone calls to check in and make sure everyone is feeling OK. I find the daily bulletin helpful as it helps me stay up to date and well informed.�

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t Dental as a clinical patient-facing service we have been on standby for reassignment with members of our multi-talented team going to help with distributing PPE, going into Arrowe Park at one point and now helping with the swabbing in Bidston. We’ve had to learn to adapt to ever changing situations and guidance as things develop.

We have had some staff working from home where possible, particularly as our space became smaller with social distancing becoming a priority. We have members of staff that are at higher risk of COVID-19 and so were shielded, while other team members filled in where needed.

We have limited the services we provide as dental care puts us at very high risk of cross contamination. Our service has moved to urgent cases only, we are triaging all of our patients and have managed most of our service via phone call.

Patients are asked at the telephone triage whether they have symptoms or have been in contact with anybody with symptoms and this is documented.

If they don’t have symptoms and they have what we diagnose as an ‘urgent problem’ then they are brought into clinic for care.

We advise patients to avoid public transport if possible and to practice social distancing. Their

temperature is taken by a nurse in PPE and they are asked to alcohol gel their hands. They are then taken through to the dentist and nurse who are wearing PPE. This has worked well so far and we are meeting the needs of those urgent cases whilst continuing to offer care and advice over the phone.

From an oral care health promotion perspective we are now in the process of calling our patients to make sure that they are well, and reminding them to maintain good oral hygiene.

With the team being spread out we make sure we keep in touch; we have a WhatsApp group to inform us of the rota for the next day so we all know where we all are and we receive update emails from the line manager and phone calls to check in and make sure everyone is feeling OK. I find the daily bulletin helpful as it helps me stay up to date and well informed.

CHAPTER 5

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team “Despite working apart we are feeling more connected and engaged than ever! We have responded well to the change and uncertainty, demonstrated courage and worked with new enthusiasm and purpose.”

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he COVID-19 pandemic brought with it huge challenges for us all and as a small team of Speech and Language Therapists working with children our service was stepped down nationally to allow the focus to be on the immediate health emergency.

Whilst some reassignment took place we were encouraged to work from home and focus on reducing our waiting lists for follow up appointments, a part of our work that has always been challenging due to the demand for our services.

As specialists in communication, particularly face to face communication, we had to quickly reconsider how we offer support to our children, young people and families. We also saw it as an opportunity to put into place some changes that we had previously only dared to dream of!

What we’ve embraced • Telephone calls to parents offering followup consultations to discuss current concerns and communication needs for their children; offering advice, strategies and signposting to further information.

• Video calls using AccuRx enabling us to assess speech, language and communication skills from home settings.

• Our skilled assistants have been using Jabber to offer therapy sessions and model therapy techniques to parents.

• Improving our content on the Trust website including videos, therapy resources, advice and links to further information, including our Facebook page, to increase our options of reaching and supporting families at this time and beyond.

• Using Microsoft Teams for team meetings, clinical supervision and management 1:1 sessions.

• Using Microsoft Teams as a shared platform to simply communicate our work focus, ‘working out loud’ and increase our sense of connection.

Wellbeing We have noticed that despite the current situation our individual wellbeing, team wellbeing and morale have increased.

• Microsoft Teams is used to connect and ‘work out loud’ supporting the sense of common purpose and connection.

• Our wellbeing check-in helps us to notice who is feeling good and who might need some additional support.

• Our Team WhatsApp group has enabled us to check-in with each other every day to encourage

and support each other in our work.

• Being trusted to work from home has improved our wellbeing and increased productivity.

• Weekly updates from our Team Leaders highlighting the progress we have made, thanking us for our efforts and celebrating our successes has been morale boosting.

Impact • The team has fully embraced the world of telehealth. It’s fantastic to hear the positive feedback from families and also the sense of achievement from the team in the quality of care that they have been able to deliver. Our team has commented that “it’s refreshing to have the time to talk to parents about their concerns and not feel pressure to assess.”, “The parents have welcomed our contact and support.”, “This will build better relationships for the future.”

• Our ‘follow-up’ numbers have reduced which means that in the future our children, young people and families can be seen promptly and when support is needed.

• Embracing technology will give us a wider range of options for the future as well as develop our individual and team skills. It’s been a massive learning curve switching to virtual support, however with the support of our IT services to

set up appropriate platforms such as Microsoft Teams and AccuRx this has been so much easier than anticipated.

• Morale has been boosted!

Despite working apart we are feeling more connected and engaged than ever! We have responded well to the change and uncertainty, demonstrated courage and worked with new enthusiasm and purpose. Of course that is the nature of our team; we always pull together positively for any new challenges.

We are feeling excited for what lies ahead not only in terms of the innovation and changes we have introduced but in thinking about what has enabled us to make these fast paced improvements? And keeping sight of that!

CHAPTER 6

Daniel Brown

Bank Staff, Bringing ‘Teams’ together “It is an important lesson for us all that we do not let a moment of difficulty stop us from pursuing our goals.”

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his is a tale of how I went from being two and a half years unemployed to now leading two COVID-19 initiatives within the space of 18 months, Microsoft Teams and AccuRx. I am delighted to confirm both Microsoft Teams and AccuRx have had an effective contribution to implementing social distancing and improved communication throughout the Trust.

My story first began in April 2016 at the start of my NHS career. Despite this only being a short-term assignment at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, lasting 6 weeks, it definitely had a lasting effect on me. I loved every minute of it and discovered a passion for healthcare I never knew I had before.

Ever since that painful day when my initial role ended, I made a vow that I would work tirelessly to find another route back into the organisation by whatever means necessary. This led to a 2 and a half year struggle that brought some of the most devastating blows of my life, including being hit with mental health issues, having suffered a panic attack during a big job interview I had travelled as far as Cambridge for – this was when I really hit rock bottom.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself I decided to use this difficult experience as a way to improve for

the future, which is what led to me to attending a volunteering event at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in September 2018. The excitement I felt when I heard I was successful was something I hadn’t experienced since watching Liverpool lift the European Cup after that famous night in Istanbul as a 12 year old; it was indescribable. I knew at the time this wouldn’t bring any guarantee of paid work but I didn’t care because you cannot put a price of bringing happiness to children.

Just a month later that is exactly what it brought.

The volunteering event at Alder Hey led to me join the Bank Staff at Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. Having initially struggled to find my feet within the Trust due to a lack of available work, I stumbled upon an initiative that would allow me to cross over into other divisions to improve my chances of finding work. This led to me building experience in 7 departments over the space of 12 months, my CV was literally exploding!

Ever since I joined Community Nursing it has brought a calmness and financial stability to my life I’ve never had before, and that is why I am thankful to all involved for putting their trust in me to make such a positive difference during COVID-19 pandemic. This opportunity has led to me not only earning such an important role within

our Trust, but has also helped me achieve lifelong personal targets!

Since the beginning of lockdown, not only have I passed an emergency driving test for which I was kindly sponsored by Arnold Clark to gain driving experience, I have also bought a my first car having worked hard on improving my financial standing over the last few years.

This has also led to me getting a Decision in Principle to put towards getting a mortgage when I choose to buy my own home as well as being promoted on my Bank work to join Liverpool University Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust alongside my current role when it is safe to do so.

It is an important lesson for us all that we do not let a moment of difficulty stop us from pursuing our personal and career goals.

CHAPTER 7

Debra Ollerhead

Adult Bladder and Bowel Service Lead “The COVID-19 crisis has given the team an opportunity to work differently and the team has embraced the challenge to the point we may never work the same again.�

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have celebrated working over 40 years in the NHS and have never experienced anything like the COVID-19 crisis. However, it has enabled new ways of working for our dynamic service. We have had to prioritise patients and aim to support the hospital by reducing hospital episodes. We first undertook the planned catheter changes for all the 500 catheterised patients, then the unplanned or crisis calls relating to catheters, and then the leg bag changes for these patients.

The team were outstanding and took on the care of these patients across Wirral. We were supported with 15 hours a week from Amcare whose partnership working has been invaluable. We were able to adapt our two day continence training into half day sessions to increase knowledge and competencies for practitioners who were being reassigned across the Trust and required support.

We have embraced Microsoft Teams within the team to increase communication as many of the team are working from home through isolation or shielding. Nurses are able to triage and offer support to patients at home with bladder or bowel problems. We have continued with the Trial without Catheter Service and the under 70s are able to come to clinic for this pathway whist we travel to the patient’s own home for the over 70s.

This reduces potential catheter related problems or infections to the patients and associated risks.

The team during the first few weeks worked bank holidays and not our usual working hours, in order to support the community nursing teams. They now travel across Wirral to ensure the patients receive the best nursing care regarding catheter management. The COVID-19 crisis has given the team an opportunity to work differently and the team has embraced the challenge to the point we may never work the same again. I am so proud to have such a motivated team that innovates quickly so I am sure all of us will have learnt something positive from this unprecedented experience.

CHAPTER 8

Donna Ditchfield

Senior Complaints Officer, Your Experience Team, Quality and Governance “Staying connected to the team has never been more important than now and I really enjoy our meetings. Technology has certainly played an important part in keeping us all connected.�

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hen plans were put in place for me to work from home I was incredibly grateful to the Trust for putting my safety and that of my team first. I was also grateful to the IT team for working so fast to provide me with a laptop and work phone.

I have access to the Your Experience email inbox and online feedback forms are sent to this inbox via the Trust website. These include compliments as well as concerns and complaints. These are all logged onto Datix. I have been allocated a work mobile which enables me to call back patients and patients to call me who have concerns or wish know anything about our services. A lot of the calls are signposting to other services at the moment but it’s great that patients are able to speak to someone as not all of our community will have access to the internet.

Personally, I have days where I feel isolated and miss my work colleagues; however the COVID-19 daily update from the Communications Team and meetings on MS Teams make me feel more connected. It’s always nice to see the team’s face on my screen. Staying connected to the team has never been more important than now and I really enjoy our meetings. Technology has certainly played an important part in keeping us all connected and I always feel better after a little MS Teams meeting.

I am in awe of my front line health and social care colleagues and I am happy to support them in any way I can. When all of this is over, I am sure we will all work in a different way and we will adopt the new normal.

CHAPTER 9

George Taylor

MSK Physiotherapist

“It was a little challenging initially but we have been well supported.

I have realised how adaptable I am and how I am able to transfer skills I’ve learnt from MSK into the T2A setting.”

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have been with the Trust for 10 months, working predominately in MSK Outpatients in St Catherine’s Health Centre, but also in satellite clinics at Devaney Medical Practice. COVID-19 brought changes to my usual role as our MSK team has been reassigned to where the service needs are greater. My role now sees me working as a transfer to assess (T2A) Physiotherapist over in Marine View, in New Brighton.

Our main aim is to assess our patients whom have come out of hospital to make sure they are ready to be discharged to the appropriate locations e.g. home, residential home or occasionally nursing homes, as soon as we are able. The team is colocated and integrated; there are physiotherapists, occupational therapists, therapy assistants, and social workers. We all work alongside the nursing staff and healthcare assistants employed by the care home.

Personally I am enjoying the experience to work in a multidisciplinary team (MDT) setting and meeting different staff members who, like myself, have come from different areas to form a new team here at Marine View to help manage this current situation. It was a little challenging initially when setting things up and finding my feet but we have been well supported. As a team we are collectively managing very well, and we are a great support

for each other and of course have our patients and their best interests at the centre of our treatment approaches.

Patients at the present time are a little anxious regarding the pandemic, but predominantly they are experiencing a feeling of sadness that they cannot see their loved ones due the lockdown and restrictions of visitors coming into care homes. As a team we recognise patients’ emotions and work with them to remain positive and engaged with their treatment plans.

Speaking on a personal level I think for myself it has given me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and speak up within the MDT team.

I have also realised how adaptable I am and how I am able to transfer skills I’ve learnt from MSK into the T2A setting.

Our MSK team are staying connected via a WhatsApp group, with which we communicate on a daily basis to find out how everyone else are finding their new teams and keeping up-to-date on a personal level. The daily bulletin helps keep me in the loop with any COVID-19 updates as it summarises all information and guidance being provided into a simpler format.

CHAPTER 10

Jayne Naughalty

Centralised Booking Service Manager

“I feel so very proud to be part of an amazing team and if one good thing comes out of this frightening situation it will be that we will come out the other side with more friends and stronger than before.�

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was actually off work with a knee injury when the government announced lockdown and within hours of the announcement being made our service began to change dramatically.

care home residents , key workers and their family members in for COVID-19 testing which then enables key workers to be able to return to work as quickly as possible.

I was so grateful to IT who enabled me to work from home and support the service and both my team leads.

I have been totally overwhelmed by the response of other departments within the Trust offering their support for both CBS and SPA. Staff who have chosen to be reassigned with us have been thrown out of their comfort zone but have taken everything in their stride and have displayed complete dedication and commitment in supporting both colleagues and patients.

All services the Centralised Booking Service (CBS) had previously supported were stood down with immediate effect and we began to work together with PMO to create a support and advice line for patients who were concerned about the escalating COVID-19 situation.

Staff were reassigned to Single Point of Access (SPA) and we put all of our resources into place to enable staff to be fully trained as quickly as possible.

My team have now been re located to Heart Support Rehab to enable social distancing to remain a top priority at all times. This has undoubtedly made the team feel a lot more comfortable and settled when coming into work.

We are now working as part of the COVID-19 management team and are responsible for booking

Although I have felt vulnerable myself at times I feel so very proud to be part of a most amazing team and if one good thing comes out of this frightening situation it will be that we will come out the other side with more friends and stronger than before.

CHAPTER 11

Judy Fairbairn

Service Development Co-ordinator, Sexual Health Wirral “I personally have enjoyed the rapid pace and have been able to work both office based and from home which has really helped, both productively and mentally.�

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OVID-19 has been without doubt a challenging and unprecedented time for everybody, but the passion and energy I have seen within the organisation to respond and transform services to help people access care has been amazing.

From week one when we literally had five days to change our service model and adopt new pathways, it has been non-stop. But I have really enjoyed the buzz, seeing everybody pull together to make sure we are getting it right for our patients our public.

My role leads our service communications, our digital front door, service development and engagement so this has been a really busy time to quickly identify safe and effective changes we can adopt to continue care. I personally have enjoyed the rapid pace and have been able to work both office based and from home which has really helped, both productively and mentally.

For me this time has given us the opportunity to explore change and innovation and utilise our digital options really effectively. From the start we moved straight away to a tele-assessment platform which meant public messages and a comms plan, also adopting a new initiative of sending medication via post. We have a really wide public health agenda so engaging with the public, our partnership agencies and our community based colleagues in primary care and community pharmacy has been has been key to ensure consistent messages.

There has been a lot of national coverage in the press about the longer term public health outcomes if people cannot access contraption and sexual health support. Changing and adopting new ways of care and our already well-established digital platform has supported this massively. Online STI postal test kits, tele-assessments, texting electronic leaflets and compiling online FAQs has meant we can share national and local guidance to people who ring for advice. We are also lucky that we can measure website page analytics each week to help us develop areas.

As a team we are a little physically fragmented right now with many of our clinical team reassigned to other areas as our face to face services are reduced.

It’s important that we all feel connected , involved and supported so we have increased our staff comms and engagement eg with our staff newsletter The Buzz. Our recent team meeting was held via Teams with a mixture of 15-20 staff joining remotely and in person - feedback from staff was really positive.

From that we developed a WhatsApp staff contact group to help communicate messages and ‘check in’ on each other.

I am looking forward to us evaluating the changes we have applied and identifying learning and potential improvements we can embed longer term. Oh and I look forward to hugs, I really miss HUGS!

CHAPTER 12

Kim Howells

Screening Coordinator for the 0-19 Cheshire East School Nursing Service “During the pandemic my team has had to adapt to a totally new way of working, they always want to do their best and give 100% to the service.�

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uring the pandemic my team has had to adapt to a totally new way of working. The screeners are used to being out and about screening reception children in schools, taking heights and weights and assisting with School Immunisation sessions. The immunisation admin team are usually preparing and checking vast numbers of consent forms and keeping SystmOne up to date to ensure all the immunisation sessions run smoothly in our schools.

For the last couple of months the whole team has had to adapt to working from home and supporting the wider 0-19 service, often taking on work they have not been involved in previously.

My team consists of 11 School Health Screeners and 3 Immunisation Administrators and as a team they are conscientious, hardworking and adaptable and they always want to do their best and give 100% to the service.

I hope that this poem reflects the ups downs and humour involved for our team whilst working through the pandemic: COVID-19 has made us all think, ‘How can we keep going and try not to sink?’

We’ve all pulled together and we’ve made it work; tried

hard to keep cheerful and not go berserk. Working from home soon became the norm; some days VPN problems kicked up a storm! Zoom took over as a way of us meeting; some of us couldn’t stop overeating.

Scan and scan and scan some more; so keen to work as we did before.

“Do one” now COVID, and leave us be; we’ve schools to visit and children to see.

Screening and immunisations both suspended; supporting the wider service until this has ended. As a team we may be fearful, but on the whole we’ve all kept cheerful.

WhatsApp groups mean lots of chatter, jokes and quips about getting fatter.

Keeping in touch and not feeling sad; weekly Zoom meetings are nice to be had.

As well as all this, COVID brought us good weather; most important of all it brought us together. My team far and wide they all work so hard; please accept this as my “thank you” card.

CHAPTER 13

Linda Gregory

Returnee from Retirement

“It has been great to meet new colleagues and learn to work together for the best outcomes for patients. I have surprised myself at how adaptable I am.�

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can’t believe that I have been nursing for 44 years and I am now taking on roles that I didn’t even know existed! But I guess that’s what happens in an international crisis.

I started my nurse training in 1976 at the very site I am working from now: St Catherine’s Health Centre. In 2018 I took my retirement but remained on the Sexual Health Nurse Bank working regularly in clinics to utilise my knowledge and skills.

Since our lives changed with COVID-19 I have been reassigned to Single Point of Access (SPA).

This of course is a whole new experience for me but has allowed me to use my skills from years of nursing to help make decisions about the most appropriate referral venue , whilst continuing to learn from new colleagues in specialised areas , all broadening my wider knowledge. It has been great to meet new colleagues and learn to work together for the best outcomes for patients, and I have been able to transfer my skills to a new area that I didn’t know much about initially. I have surprised myself at how adaptable I am.

When COVID-19 action plans began and there were calls for experienced clinicians to join the frontline to support services, I was very happy to get involved and be part of the help the NHS so desperately needed. This is a challenging and

unprecedented time and I feel proud to be playing my small part in a much bigger picture, and to be giving something back from a really enjoyable, fulfilling and successful career. I am very happy that the Trust found me a place where I could feel like a valuable addition to the team and help make a difference to patients.

Of course anxieties are always in your mind like everybody else, but I trained to be a nurse and am very passionate and committed to my vocation so it’s an ‘all hands on deck’ situation. I have also applied to be a COVID-19 contact tracer for Public Health England and heard today that they can use me, so I would say my career has taken many turns and I feel I am nothing if not adaptable and open to new experiences.

CHAPTER 14

Mick Blease

Security Manager and Head of Emergency Planning “I am looking forward to the day when we are all able to sit around our desks once more and we regale with our individual tales of what just happened.�

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y first involvement in the coronavirus pandemic was volunteering to welcome those being repatriated back to the UK from Wuhan, although it was not a pandemic at this point. Never did I imagine that it would have escalated in the manner it has.

Not long after this we were soon planning to deliver virus testing for individuals who may have travelled to certain countries such as China, Vietnam, and Thailand and have specific symptoms. Nearly three months later and the UK has the second highest death rate in the world. I honestly did not feel it would get this bad.

The public were now panic buying, clearing toilet rolls and long life foods from the shelves. The PM announced measures on self-isolation if you had a cough and/or a fever and highlighting groups of vulnerable individuals. Social distancing was heard for the first time when discussing the over 70s. It was at this point I had a ‘wobble’. My daughters and I all have a heart condition, and I feared the worst. I withdrew from my role, slightly reducing the amount of contact I had with colleagues and meetings. But not for long…

I have supported our amazing frontline staff with ‘Fit Testing’ of masks and in any other way I can. I am still out and about visiting all WCHC sites and teams requiring fit testing, travelling in my own car alone. I have kept in touch with wider teams within the organisation by popping into services

to check everybody is OK and talk regularly with my own team, many of whom are working from home.

We use Microsoft Teams and our own WhatsApp group. I have literally not had a day off since the pandemic began as I have daily functions that need to be completed such as phone handover for the on call manager, preparing and sending the national daily situation report and a further situation report later in the day relating to staff swabbing.

On 7 May my wife woke with a cough that I questioned. She was not concerned but we took her temperature. In a matter of minutes her temperature went from 37.6 to 38.4 and the fever began to kick in. We both went for a test at Arrowe Park Hospital that same afternoon and less than 24 hours later we had the confirmation that Jude my wife was positive and I was negative. We are now all in lockdown as a family in what feels like a ticking time bomb waiting for the symptoms to arrive. Jude has clearly contracted the virus at work where she is a Detective Inspector as there has been a cluster of cases in her workplace. We are lucky to be receiving lots of support from work, family and neighbours.

I am looking forward to the day when we are all able to sit around our desks once more and we regale with our individual tales of what just happened.

CHAPTER 15

Nicola Williams

Community Cardiology Service Lead

“Being brave, being scared, being resourceful, reflective and humbled as we move forward in these strange times ensure we have learned lessons, embraced new ways of working and developed our services.�

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s a nurse manager or service lead you go on pandemic training, possibly many times throughout you career. You write your Business Continuity Plan and review it yearly and share with your teams. Very little of what I learned or wrote down could adequately prepare me for the pandemic.

My fear was if we stepped down our service, vulnerable patients/people with long term conditions would be failed. The patient who had just had a heart attack, discharged, at home, scared and isolated; the heart failure patient not wanting to bother the GP or be admitted to hospital in fear of the virus; the patient worried they may have a serious heart condition having to wait for that test.

Gradually getting worse, when we have the ability to diagnose, treat and support them. Potentially with patients having to access acute care, increasing their risk of contracting COVID-19 or even worse, staying at home suffering with cardiac symptoms and not seeking appropriate help, leading to cardiac complications including heart failure.

Our Community Trust understood and supported our service to continue, redesigning pathways, embracing new technology, and working very differently. We have been identified as a Trust that has ‘got it right’, when other heart failure and

Cardiovascular Disease rehab teams have been reassigned.

Some of us got sick, some of us scarily so.

Frightening symptoms, scared for our loved ones, colleagues and communities.

The way I see it is that none of us, from the frontline to the senior health and social care leaders, have experience of what is going on in the world right now. We are all winging it, but we are winging it together with the passion and belief that we can make a difference.

Being brave, being scared, being resourceful, reflective and humbled as we move forward in these strange times ensure we have learned lessons, embraced new ways of working and developed our services by taking the best bits from both times (pre- and during COVID-19) to create high quality and accessible community services for the future.

CHAPTER 16

Tracy Orr

Divisional Manager, Urgent and Primary Care “If I was asked to sum up in three words working in this organisation during COVID-19 it would be inspirational, exhilarating and humbling.�

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rgent Care, would be extremely busy. In fact, the opposite is true. What did happen was an ability to adapt to new ways of working to keep both staff and our patients safe.

Staff in Urgent Care adapted to telephone consultation, something they had never done before. They have been exceptional in their response and as the Divisional Manager of that service I could not be more proud.

They have positively adopted the use of technology with remote consultation and in fact I believe that this period of time will enhance delivery of the care we provide post-COVID-19.

As a Divisional Manager I have been able to do the one thing I really wanted to do: I put my nurses uniform back on, and I have helped our staff in the delivery of care in care homes. Community staff were fantastic in their adaptability and passion to help support care homes at a time when they were experiencing the same pressures as all other health care areas.

I also worked brilliantly with Toni Shepherd and Lindsey Costello in setting up our swabbing services. This comprised of three areas: swabbing in care homes for residents, home swabbing for keyworkers who could not get to the drive

through sites, and the running of the Bidston Satellite site. The delivery of these areas has been carried out by staff who would normally work for services that have been stepped down in response to COVID-19. These staff have been an absolute pleasure to work with and their commitment to the people of Wirral will never be underestimated.

If I was asked to sum up in three words working in this organisation during COVID-19 it would be inspirational, exhilarating and humbling.

CHAPTER 17

Claire Weaver

Nurse Practitioner, Urgent Treatment Centre

“During this unprecedented time of change it has been inspiring to see the adaptability and flexibility of our amazing team.�

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uring this unprecedented time of change it has been inspiring to see the adaptability and flexibility of our amazing team. Many of the staff have agreed that they have missed the ability to visualise patients and perform a full examination as this is a fundamental tool in assessing patients, but our new AccuRx system has worked to help to overcome this.

The appointment booking system has enabled us to be more organised and prevent rushes of patients all at once, therefore making things more manageable and ensuring a safer environment for patients, the public and staff. Staff have been able to empower patients to take responsibility for their presenting complaint.

With effective reassurance and good evidencebased advice, practitioners have definitely been able to reduce patients presenting unnecessarily, therefore promoting a safe environment for patients and staff.

Some of the current telephone consultation system would help us go forward as an Urgent Care Centre by signposting patients to the correct place such as Urgent Care Centre, GP or ED.

Staff have also emphasized the importance of adequate and appropriate PPE. This has been provided, which has reduced anxiety for staff and patients, and has ensured we are working within national guidelines therefore increasing safety and reducing infection.

CHAPTER 18

Emma Holden

Nurse Practitioner, Urgent Treatment Centre

“I feel proud how the walk in centre nurses have quickly had to adapt their practice from face to face consultations to over the telephone.�

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y service has completely changed due to COVID-19 as patients are no longer able to come into the walk-in centre. They now have to be screened by the nurse practitioner via phone and newly implemented video link. This allows the practitioners to assess the patient from their home, avoiding unnecessary visits to the hospital and minimising patient contact for staff members.

If the patient is suitable for UTC/MIU they will be given an appointment time at their preferred site or VCH if an X-ray is required. This minimises the number of patients attending the service at one time, in order to apply social distancing.

I feel the appointments are a massive positive from the patients’ perspective, as before COVID-19 they could wait up to 4 hours to be seen by a nurse practitioner – now with the appointment slots, patients are seen much more quickly. I have received comments, for example, “This must be what it’s like to go to Bupa.” Sometimes the patients just want that bit of reassurance which they now can receive over the telephone instead attending the sites.

I feel proud how the walk in centre nurses have quickly had to adapt their practice from face to

face consultations to over the telephone - trying to assess how well or ill a patient may be. The UCT and MIU team are still delivering high quality care and services, however just in a different format helping relieve the pressure off other areas such as A&E.

CHAPTER 19

Viv Harrison

Returnee from Retirement

“I feel very proud to say I am a nurse and am able to play a role for the NHS during these unprecedented times. Once a nurse always a nurse!�

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retired from nursing on 31 March 2017 and would you believe exactly three years later I was reregistered on the NMC and back in work on 1 April 2020. I had been in nursing for almost 42 years and never thought that once I had retired I would be back to delivering nursing care.. However, I didn’t need to think twice about applying to reregister with the NMC and returning, once the national crisis was announced.

Throughout my entire career I have always been very passionate about all of the roles I have had and have been able to transfer my skills accordingly.

I therefore volunteered to return to nursing to support those currently working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I felt a little apprehensive as I haven’t been a handson nurse for many years. I initially commenced in VCH Walk in Centre, where the staff were very supportive of me during my training. However, this was only short lived as there was a need for some of the Trust staff to support in care homes.

I volunteered to do this and became part of the team to support the care home staff with accepting patients from WUTH into the Transfer to Assess beds.

There had been quite a lot of sickness amongst the care home staff so not only was I admitting the residents but also providing nursing care to them.

It certainly took me back to my basic nursing care days and I soon realised that my passion for caring and nursing is still there.

I was immensely proud of the team I worked with, as the majority were from 0-19 all who had worked with me during my Service Lead days and some go back even longer with me. We were all very supportive and respectful to the care home staff and introduced a few different ways of working, which they were appreciative of.

From the care home I was then asked to support the Children’s Integrated Continence service for a short time, which involved contacting parents/ carers of children on the waiting list to offer them support and advice.

I am now currently working at Bidston Covid satellite test centre managing the staff and day to day running of the centre for 4 days. Once again, I am with a fantastic team who have been reassigned from their permanent roles to ensure those that requiring testing are supported through the swabbing process.

I also feel very proud to say I am a nurse and am able to play a role for the NHS during these unprecedented times. I am very passionate in delivering care in any setting and to support the staff. Once a nurse always a nurse!

Andrea Johns Emma Evans Chien Li Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team Daniel Brown Debra Ollerhead Donna Ditchfield George Taylor Jane Naughalty

Judy Fairbairn Kim Howells Linda Gregory Mick Blease Nicola Williams Tracy Orr Claire Weaver Emma Holden Viv Harrison