The NHS is facing its biggest ever challenge

It feels as if the world has been turned upside down.

A third of the global population is currently on lockdown, while incredibly dedicated healthcare staff are out there caring for sick and vulnerable patients.

The NHS is facing its biggest ever challenge since it was founded in 1948. Business as usual has been thrown out of the window.

People in our organisation are now working in very different worlds. Those of us who are able to work at home are following strict government guidelines; seeing and speaking to people remotely to urgently progress plans and complete tasks. But a lot of our clinical colleagues are not able to do this and are selflessly still seeing patients face to face and having to cope with the anxiety this must inevitably cause. 

If you are feeling stressed, scared, sad, overwhelmed, helpless or even numb, then that is totally understandable.

I’m acutely aware of your anxieties, especially around personal protective equipment, staff testing and workforce shortages.  But there is a massive amount of work going into responding to coronavirus and people are trying really hard to ensure our patients and staff stay as safe as possible.

We are all having to get used to working in very different ways and managing the impact on our lives and those we love. I can see a lot of people making immense sacrifices to care for others.

I hope that everyone heard or participated in the clapping across the country for all NHS workers last night at 8pm and felt the love. The dedication of people and sheer hard work that is taking place is heart-warming and inspiring. I am so grateful to everyone for the part you are playing.

This virus has forced more distance, yes, but also more connection, as we find ways to communicate with people who are physically further and further away - and who feel safer to us because of that distance.

I live in the ‘Plague’ village of Eyam in Derbyshire that has been on the news a lot recently. In the 17th century, people in the village self-isolated and cut themselves off from everyone to stop the spread of the Bubonic plague. Little did I realise when I moved there, that I would be doing something similar myself!

My husband is one of the 1.5m people who are most at risk of severe illness if they catch coronavirus and so he got his text on Monday about having to stay indoors for 12 weeks.

He’s been told that he can’t go outside (but is allowed to open the window!), and we’re not even supposed to be in the same room. Sleeping in different beds after 35 years of marriage feels a bit weird, but at least it’s a bit of respite from his snoring!

But on a serious note, all of this is incredibly anxiety inducing: whether you are working in a place where you are more exposed to the virus; or whether you are worrying about loved ones who are vulnerable. We have to find ways of staying connected and supporting each other now more than ever.

So, I am going to do weekly blogs rather than fortnightly ones until this is over, and use the blog as an opportunity to hear first-hand stories from our frontline staff. I’m also hoping to start regular video updates, and I’m even trying to tweet a bit more (follow me on @ClaireMolloy2).

We’re changing how we work at an accelerated rate that could never have happened in other circumstances. We’re fast-tracking technology for clinical and corporate teams, for remote working and putting so many other changes in place.

A crisis on this scale can reorder society in dramatic ways.

It’s already reorienting our relationship to the outside world and each other, but I honestly believe that when this is all over there will have been plenty of change for good. More sophisticated and flexible use of technology, less polarisation, a revived appreciation for the outdoors and life’s other simple pleasures.

Support for each other is more important than ever.  Please remember that “it is ok to say you are not ok”.

In these times, our relationships with others become even more important. Thank you for everything you are doing at the moment and for your continued care and kindness.

Best wishes,
Claire