"The precariousness of life is staring me in the face"

Here's me (top) and
Evelyn Asante-Mensah (bottom)

Perhaps I was just naïve that it wouldn’t happen to our organisation. Or perhaps I just couldn’t face thinking about it too much. You know, that ‘heart over head’ stuff.

If I had forced myself to face the harsh possibility that we would lose staff to this vicious virus, then maybe the emotional impact wouldn’t have knocked me sideways quite so much.

I can only imagine how Grant’s cruel death is affecting his close colleagues, friends and family.

The horror of this pandemic has come into our workplace and it’s shocking. It’s real and raw and we feel wounded. As we all know, behind every statistic there is a human story and a family dealing with the unimaginable.

We will continue to do everything we can to honour Grant’s huge contribution to our organisation, compassionately caring for patients over a decade of devotion. And we will do everything we can to support his grieving family and his devastated colleagues.

I’ve found, up until now, watching TV after a working day has helped me unwind. But it’s been impossible this week to take any joy from the uplifting or funny stories and programmes.

It made me think of the W.H Auden poem, featured in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, which starts with the line; ‘Stop the clocks, Cut off the telephone…’. This beautiful and powerful poem calls for silence, but also an acknowledgement of a life lived.

On top of the loss which colleagues will be feeling, there must be an extra layer of concern for your own personal wellbeing, as well as worrying about those you love. We are doing everything we can to help keep you safe and support you.

I am seeing first-hand the stress that feeling vulnerable to this virus brings, albeit from a different angle. My husband falls into the ‘at risk’ category enduring 12 weeks isolation; the so-called ‘shielding’. The whole world is dangerous to them. And they’re scared that, even when the lockdown lifts, their lives will still be at risk until there is a vaccine.

Evelyn, our Chair, is also shielding because of her underlying health conditions and, along with Grant, is in the black and ethnic minority group that has alarmingly seen a disproportionate number of deaths. NHS England and Public Health England have in fact just started a review into this.

Evelyn and I therefore agreed that it would be timely for her to feature in this week’s blog.  

Evelyn Asante-Mensah

The numbers are shocking and stark.

Over 100 healthcare workers have tragically lost their lives, and within this there are valid questions as to why so many black and ethnic minority NHS staff are dying from coronavirus.

Is it because BAME communities live in larger, multi-generational households or more densely populated areas? Is it because we have higher cases of diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and co-morbidities? Is it because the NHS BAME workforce is predominantly on the frontline?

My family and friends are talking about this, and I know its complex, but it is worrying and upsetting. Many of our BAME staff will be feeling the same and, as Claire has said, we are doing everything we can to keep everyone, in every different group and role, as protected as we possibly can.

The statistics and facts of course matter, but at the end of the day this is still all about people. Human beings.

Grant Maganga was a husband, father, brother, uncle, friend and much more. He had hopes, dreams and plans like the rest of us. His death is so heart-wrenching.

He was clearly loved, respected and admired by so many and reading all the tributes has filled my heart. We will not forget Grant or his family.

It’s always incredibly sad to lose a member of staff, and we have lost colleagues over the years in some very tragic circumstances, but there is something about the nature of coronavirus that makes it especially painful. The feelings of loss, injustice and helplessness are compounded by people not being able to see, speak to, touch or kiss their loved one in their last days and hours.

Coming from African descent, like Grant, I know funerals in African culture are more like public celebrations where the whole family, including extended family members, friends and even friends of friends come together to celebrate the life of their loved one. 

My uncle passed away in February, just before we went into lockdown, and the whole process of who could and couldn’t attend his funeral was so difficult. It wasn’t the kind of goodbye we would have ever wanted to give him and I know this will be the case for many up and down the land.

As Claire has said, I am one of the many thousands of people shielding and therefore, although still working, I am unable to leave home for 12 weeks. The new norm is not normal and our world might never be quite the same.

I know I’m not walking in your shoes but, as a black woman with underlying health conditions, this pandemic is also touching my life in a severe way. Chances are I'd be very seriously ill and unlikely to survive if I got coronavirus.

I want to be stoic and strong, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I am scared. I know I am lucky in many ways and appreciate the small things more than ever. But my mortality and the precariousness of life is staring me in the face, and as an ordinary human being I’m finding it tough.

But this is not about me. I simply hope that by sharing my vulnerability it shows that I can maybe understand some of the anxieties and fears that you might have.

At times of crisis, they say that it’s more important than ever that leaders are visible. Well, this is a truly different type of crisis, and although I may not be visiting wards, wandering corridors, popping into offices or attending events, I am thinking of you all the time and doing everything I can behind the scenes to support you.

Most importantly, I simply want to thank you. I’ve always been in awe of your commitment, compassion and dedication. On any normal day, your work caring for vulnerable and complex patients must be so challenging, so my respect and admiration is currently off the scale.

We’ve seen the very best of humanity during this pandemic, with so many inspirational acts of kindness. You are a shining example of the best.

The coronavirus feels like it has left nothing untouched in its wake, but you are spreading love and hope. I have never felt more proud of you. Thank you – Evelyn Asante-Mensah

 

Best wishes,

Claire

You can follow me on Twitter @ClaireMolloy2

Keeping up spirits

Here's me (top) and
Sophie Ogden (bottom)

The Easter bank holiday last weekend reinforced the
surreal strangeness of the world we are currently living in with empty roads, deserted beaches and quiet beauty spots.

I read that even the seagulls are social distancing, as they are apparently missing people and their chips!

So, beneath the bright sunshine – and while the NHS carried on working - the egg hunts, picnics, paddling and even camping were kept to gardens as most Brits stoically stuck to the lockdown rules.

The holiday wasn’t cancelled, people just celebrated and enjoyed it in different ways.

I saw a tweet that said, ‘We’re apart in uncertain times, but together in spirit and song’. And that’s certainly what I’m seeing every day, from virtual choirs, songs and poetry to street dancing and TikTok videos.

Of course, the huge stress and distress people are feeling hasn’t gone away, and this week has been especially hard for a number of our wards as we have sadly lost patients
to the virus. But the simple things are keeping us going and people are doing everything they can to keep spirits high - helping to boost us in these scary times.

And, when it comes to dancing, Pennine Care certainly has talent!  Your TikTok videos on Twitter are really helping to lift all of our spirits.

Our Stepping Hill mental health liaison team triggered the dance routine trend, and since then all our boroughs have been strutting their stuff.  We’ve had teams from Rochdale (Prospect Place, Hollingworth ward, Stansfield Place), Tameside (Saxon suite), Bury (Hope and Horizon units), Oldham (Oak ward) and Stockport (Davenport ward and Heathfield house) posting their energetic TikTok takes.

Challenges have been made and bars have been raised!

In fact, they’ve become so popular with NHS frontline teams across the land that there’s definitely a dance-off in the making. When you are all under so much intense pressure you need some much needed light relief, so we and the whole nation are cheering you all on. We understand it helps morale and is a great way of maintaining team spirit.

This is nothing like we’ve experienced before, and the little things that help us through this are worth their weight in gold.

Whether it’s walking the dogs, cycling, gardening, cooking, skyping, singing or dancing.

Rachel Chin, one of our clinical psychologists, has been sharing some tremendous stuff from the power of smiling to managing our cravings, as well as running mindfulness and yoga sessions for patients and staff.  Whilst others are using music as a therapeutic tool, whether it’s to help unwind, lift the mood or bring back happy memories for dementia patients.

Music has the power to connect and change, and has even been described as the ‘strongest form of magic’.

I’m listening to CDs that I haven’t listened to for ages (the latest is American indie rock band ‘The Walkmen’). I follow Jon Rouse, the former chief officer for Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership on Twitter and he’s asking people for their album suggestions, so I’m not alone in wanting to rediscover old favourites or try new bands.

And my son’s street in Coventry is going out once a week to sing three songs together from their doorsteps. He lives on his own, so it’s a pretty lonely time at the moment, but things like this really help. Community spirit when it matters most.

And therefore, on the theme of supporting each other, especially during some dark times, I have asked Sophie Ogden who is deputy ward manager on our Ramsbottom Ward to say a few words in this blog.

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"Managing our ward, while many of my colleagues are required to be in self-isolation, has its own unique challenges, but the support has been truly overwhelming.

On a personal level, it’s been the most challenging time in my career and I’ve got a new found sense of emotional resilience that I didn’t believe I had.

We were devastated when a long standing patient of the ward sadly passed away recently. As you can imagine, this has been a truly upsetting time for our team. But the main thing that stood out to me during this awful time was the support from others, including the thoughtful staff on Hope and Horizon units and South ward, along with our modern matron. This enabled staff to take time to debrief, which is critical in allowing staff to process their feelings.

It’s at times like these that the on-going efforts of everyone in our trust are more valuable than ever to ensure that we all have the best chance at supporting our patients, colleagues and ourselves.

Understanding that this coronavirus crisis is an evolving situation and how it changes our day-to-day practice is undoubtedly difficult for everyone involved. That’s why effective communication has been critical in keeping staff well-informed to meet the demands.

I feel that the delivery of personal protective equipment training and daily briefings among staff has enabled our ward to manage this situation professionally, and I want to take the opportunity to thank senior management for cascading information and answering all my questions in such a timely manner.

Ensuring that staff morale is high has been key to supporting staff wellbeing. Receiving donations from different organisations, including flowers, Easter eggs, headbands, cupcakes and goodies from our board has given staff the well-deserved boost that they need.

We’re also planning to introduce our ‘wobble room’ on the ward. A place where all staff can take some time to de-stress and even have a little cry if they need. This room will have a box of goodies including tea, coffee, magazines, lip balm, moisturiser, face masks, chocolates and sweets. The walls will be covered with beautiful pictures created by children for the NHS. We also plan to have a box of inspiring quotes and statements from management that staff can read. We hope that this will give colleagues a safe place to reflect, relax and manage their emotions during this crisis.

It takes courage, endeavour and resilience to do our job and I commend all of us for going above and beyond, not only during this crisis, but throughout my time spent in nursing. Some of the techniques that have helped me to manage my own anxieties throughout this crisis include a healthy diet, exercise, keeping hydrated, sleep, limiting my time on social media and maintaining connections with family and friends via video call.

Knowing that the whole nation is behind us is truly overwhelming. Hearing the clap for carers every Thursday bring tears to my eyes. 

I have never felt more proud of myself and my colleagues; this gives us the determination and bravery to keep fighting this awful virus day in day out.

So thank you to everyone involved - it really means a lot.  We’re all in this together and together we will all pull through" - Sophie Ogden

 

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Best wishes,
Claire
You can follow me on Twitter @ClaireMolloy2

Unsung heroes

Here's me (top) and
Mandy Leah (bottom)

It’s sometimes easy to miss the invisible engines that help keep the wheels turning in organisations
or communities.

Some unsung heroes fly beneath the radar.

After last week’s blog, I was chatting to Karen, my PA, and she said that she and some of her colleagues felt guilty about using the protected
NHS-hour slot at the supermarket to buy provisions. Basically, because they were not frontline staff they felt that they didn’t merit any special treatment.

While clinical staff are so utterly deserving of the continuous praise for their exceptional work in tackling this pandemic, there are many others working behind the scenes in crucial roles whose efforts are sometimes overlooked. Without them,
so much would grind to a halt.

I know that at the moment, more than ever before, the working lives of our frontline and ‘office-based’ staff could not feel more different. We totally appreciate the courage needed in our clinical staff
to keep coming in day after day to deal with patients impacted by covid-19, worrying about the risk this raises for them personally and for their families. And, I know the frustrations of changing clinical guidance and being able to get the right personal protective equipment compound these anxieties.

But it’s a team effort in the widest sense.

A successful team is a group of many different hands but of one mind and purpose.

So, I know our clinical support teams are working tirelessly to support clinical services - our procurement team sourcing supplies and equipment, our IT team ensuring we have the right technology, our HR team recruiting and deploying staff to areas critically impacted by the virus, our admin teams keeping many plates spinning to ensure things are well planned and organised, and our communications team keeping us updated and informed and raising our spirits. That’s why these teams and many others are working over this bank holiday. They need and want to support the frontline.

I’m just so impressed with how everyone has responded to this crisis. You have adapted to news ways of working with such flexibility, positivity and resilience - and at such pace!

Many of you are now working in different locations, for example, our liaison teams who have rapidly moved out of A&Es; or in different roles, such as those now manning our new helpline for patients and carers, which was set up in less than a week.

We’ve got so many teams going above and beyond. It’s a cliché I know, but it’s so true. Take our domestics, for example.

Cleanliness and strict hygiene are always of paramount importance to prevent the risk of infection – but during this coronavirus pandemic, it’s even more essential. No floor can be cleaned remotely and our domestics have taken on an ever more important role in a war against an invisible killer.

I therefore asked Mandy Leah, one of our domestics, to contribute to this week’s blog.

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“Wow things have changed in the last few weeks, but I’ve been really impressed by how hard everybody has worked to make things feel like normal. And I think that kind of effort from top to bottom is what makes me love working at Pennine Care.

Lots of places look down on people like us, but we are treated as equals here whether it’s a normal day or a day in crisis, and we appreciate it.

At the moment I’m covering more shifts, working extra hours and working at other clinics because of the stretched staffing. Work is tougher, but I’ve just got on with it. I don’t mind, as we all have to stick together at times like these.

Every key worker is a star, and as I go about my day I see people working together to do the best they can, no matter what level their job is. You could be an exec director or a delivery driver, I see everybody pulling together.

I’ve worked for Pennine Care for nine years and I’m proud of my work and I’m proud to work with people like my manager Winnie. She is an inspiration, a star and she has taught me everything I know.

With the current situation, it makes me feel like this is the best place I have ever worked. Everybody will be feeling stress and anxiety, but I see people everywhere going above and beyond, getting their heads down and giving everything to help others.

The atmosphere is absolutely one of support. There is constant communication from all levels and everybody is open to helping each other, I feel like we’re all looked after. My team are a godsend and I think it’s been the same everywhere.

Many lives have changed and will never be the same. That’s why all key workers are worth more than their weight in gold.” – Mandy Leah
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No-one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play and it’s brilliant to see everyone working together and playing their part in our response.  

Thank you all again. Although it might feel tough and strange at the moment, this will end at some point and we will recover. Happy Easter. Stay safe.

Best wishes,
Claire

You can follow me on Twitter @ClaireMolloy2

Fear and Hope

Here's me (top) and
Sian Schofield (bottom)

Health minister Nadine Dorries joined our mental health trust CEO webinar earlier this week. During the discussion, she highlighted how people are treating her differently following her recovery from coronavirus.

She said she could feel their fear, worried they would catch the virus even with social distancing; and this got me thinking about our hopes and fears in this current climate and how they work in tandem.  There is no hope without fear, and no fear without hope.

Anxieties are understandably high at the moment. You can see it in behaviours, hear it in conversations and read it online.

And while there is massive fear about contracting the virus, especially hearing some of the hugely sad stories about people who have lost their lives, there is also fear about social isolation, money and jobs. It’s completely normal to feel this sort of fear.

There are also specific anxieties for those staff working on the frontline. It’s essential that we follow the strict government guidance and support staff to work from home where possible. But I’m very conscious that there is now a world of difference in our day to day lives between those of us able to work from home and our frontline staff going into busy clinical areas or having face to face consultations with patients.

I was really struck by a tweet from a hospital doctor along the lines of, “I wish I wasn’t a doctor. I wish I wasn’t scared. I wish I was able to work at home” .

We have fantastically courageous and committed clinicians, but we have to acknowledge their emotions and do whatever we can to address the concerns they have. I know a lot of this fear (and anger) is still around personal protective equipment and testing, and we will not stop doing everything we can to try and keep you safe. It’s also important we provide as much wellbeing and resilience support as we can. That’s why we‘ve introduced SilverCloud, an online course to help manage stress, anxiety and depression, as well as a range of other new apps.

Fear is a powerful emotion, and has the potential to paralyse us if it’s all we focus on, but instead we’re seeing first-hand the momentum for action that it can unlock. That’s where hope comes in.

It’s amazing how many things are being progressed at record speed, from plans to move liaison teams out of A&E to setting up a patient helpline. We’re bringing in software and training for remote patient consultations and held an online training session for 130 doctors on Wednesday.

It’s difficult to see how the NHS will not emerge stronger from this pandemic, however traumatic and stressful the coming months will be.

So many of you are going above and beyond. They say that the light shines brightest in the darkness, and you just need to look on our social media channels to read about colleagues taking on additional roles and giving extra time to train and support others. We’ll be highlighting these in our new Together We Can daily email update which kicks off today. This update is an addition to our current daily information update and aims to complement it with acknowledgments and appreciation.

There have been so many acts of kindness, with staff doing that little bit extra to help each other through: from homemade cheese and onion pie, to yoga sessions.

Hope is popping up in windows, streets and symbolic messages. My daughter took my little granddaughter out on a rainbow hunt at the start of this week and they counted 43 rainbows in people’s windows. And I’m sure we all heard the clapping again yesterday evening and felt immensely moved by the collective love and appreciation for NHS and key workers.

Sian Schofield, our associate director of nursing and health care professionals has spent many days swabbing patients, along with our matrons and head of nursing, and I asked Sian to briefly share her thoughts in this blog.

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“In these unprecedented times, the response I have seen from staff has been outstanding. The NHS gets criticised for so much so often, but over the last few weeks we have all demonstrated that we absolutely all pull together as one team. We are all rising to this huge challenge.

I love nursing and I know that with the amount of care nurses have for their patients, staff will be taking work home with them. We will all have anxieties at the moment, but it’s crucial for us to find a way to shut off when we’re with our families and for us to maintain resilience.

I am in awe when I have been to the wards. Outside of the extra procedural steps taken in these times, you wouldn’t know there is anything majorly different, such is the calm and considered manner that staff are running their wards. This is despite the fact there are a whole host of more complex patient needs our teams now have to deal with.

My team have truly been outstanding. People are working outside of their normal roles, coming it at weekends, taking calls and more with no questions asked.

Everybody has really gone above and beyond, I’m extremely proud of them and they are an absolute delight to work with”.

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In our anxiety we are drawing deep reserves of strength from others. In our isolation we are rediscovering community. In our fragmentation we are rediscovering the value of collaboration and partnership.

There will be stress and sorrow in the months ahead. But I also believe that this pandemic offers a profound opportunity and responsibility to unite in shared hope as we envision a better future.

As Maya Angelou, the American civil rights activist, said, “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Invite one to stay.”

Best wishes,
Claire
You can follow me on Twitter @ClaireMolloy2