19 February 2021 - Volunteering During Covid Times

I had some time on my hands during lockdown and so last year when I saw that my local Borough was looking for volunteers I decided to sign up. In the early days of Covid I was nervous about volunteering in scenarios where I could be exposing myself to possible Covid risk situations. In addition, the term PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) was new to the general public and supplies of it were in strained quantities.

I took 'safer' volunteering jobs, one such being to deliver sports kits to families around the Borough. Well, I do have a sports car after all. It seemed a fitting delivery vehicle for the task.

Over time, as a nation, our daily lives have been governed by Covid rules. It is now practise to wear masks in public enclosed spaces such as Supermarkets. We use Antibac as we enter shops. We are mindful to keep distance from each other. Hands - Space - Face. 

In December, vaccines were released to combat the virus.  Already their impacts are starting to give us a vision of restoring our freedoms.

The NHS staff working in the local hospital had been under continuous pressure for nearly a year, battling the effects of the Covid virus on patients and trying to keep critical support services going, such as operating theatres and labour wards. Many of these staff members had had very little time off; in the first wave some leave was cancelled to try to manage the flow. Medical students were fast tracked into roles to bolster the staff. Many of our health care workers were exposed to Covid and got sick, some died. 

The pressure was taking its toll on the medical teams. Their health was being risked on a daily basis and their well-being was rock bottom. There is a concern in the longer term that we will lose many of our health care professionals due to Covid burnout.

In January a new initiative was announced by my Borough called Project Hope. They created a well-being team, made up of volunteers, to go round all the wards in the hospital, twice a day, every day, to deliver drinks, snacks and gifts to the medical teams and give the staff a reason to stop for a moment for some self care.

The volunteers were told that they would be visiting Covid wards, as well as standard wards and would be given full PPE. I thought about it, I talked about it, I signed up. 

Let's talk about the PPE for a moment. I was asked to wear a surgical mask, a visor, gloves and an apron as I walked around the hospital. It was mandated that I changed each PPE item after every ward visited and apply fresh kit before moving into the next one. I did follow these instructions as wearing PPE is about protecting everyone. 

But here's the reality of wearing the kit. First the mask - we have all become quite used to wearing these in public spaces now so this isn't a concern. The visor on the other had is cumbersome. For a start they aren't the best things to see out of. Then you are asked to wipe the visor with an Antibac wipe in-between each ward to clean it which makes the visibility very smeary. And then, you forget how much it protrudes off your head and I can't tell you how many times I knocked my head against the trolley with it on. Ugh! Now onto the gloves. Your hands will sweat in latex gloves and it becomes more of a challenge to swap into new ones as your hands are wet, sticky with Antibac and swollen.  I have small hands but I found that I had to go for larger sized gloves just so I could get them on. And then you risk getting the glove tips caught in things when you fumble around as they are just that bit too big. Ugh! And finally the aprons. When I say aprons, I mean, really thin plastic sheets with handles that you have to wrestle to unfold and then put on. 

I would have taken a photo of me wearing all this kit but I felt it was inappropriate to do while in the hospital. Instead, does anyone remember playing the hat, scarf, gloves and try and eat chocolate game? Well putting on PPE is a bit like that. You feel exhausted before you begin. Here's a pic of that instead.

Turning up for my first shift at the hospital and I was given my volunteer pass and a quick induction. Tasks were divvied up and I was allotted trolley duty around the wards. We loaded up our trolley of goodies and headed off to hand out some well-being.

Let's now talk about hospitals. You may have seen reports to suggest that hospitals are empty places and that Covid is all a hoax. I can confirm that my local, large hospital is a quiet place to be right now. Corridors are empty and some areas are not in use. It is easy for people to take photos and send out media to suggest the hoax. The reality is that visitors are not allowed in. They would usually make up the general hubbub of people walking around. As for patients, if you're in the hospital right now then you are sick, possibly very sick and confined to your ward and not wandering around. 

The hospital is now marked up in hot and cold zones, a hot zone representing a Covid ward. Permission is requested to enter any ward. We would park up our trolley in the safe zones of the ward, generally a reception area and await our customers. 

Let's talk about social distancing. This concept is not adhered to in a hospital. I can understand why, they can't perform their job without getting close to their patients. Staff often work in close proximity with others to help a patient and they might also be working in confined spaces too. They aren't going to suddenly remember to step back and give someone space when they themselves are present in their natural working environment. That took some adjustment. 

As staff approached the trolley, all very excited by the prospect of goodies, we had to remind them to not touch and suggest for us to "let us serve you". Cue the moment of feeling like Victoria Wood and her trolley sketch, "can you see it on the trolley, can you point to it".

While in one of the Covid wards, in a safe zone, a door separating us from Covid positive patients, the staff came to visit our trolley. They had to remove a higher level of PPE kit before stepping into the safe zone, but still wearing masks. One, a doctor, thanked us for all our help, how she was truly grateful for the service and how they looked forward to the treats each day. I nearly cried on the spot, I could just about muster, not at all - thank you, as a response.

I've worked other shifts at the hospital since and have witnessed the tireless dedication by our NHS medical teams to just keep going and maintain the care that any patient needs. I saw one team in a ward not stop for our trolley as they had an emergency, one patient was very sick. They huddled to talk through the case and next steps. They had a sense of urgency, knowing that time was critical but they acted in a professional and calm manner throughout. I don't know what happened to the patient. We left them a pack of biscuits to share, should they have got a moment to pause.

I've seen people wearing multiple masks at a time for added protection. I've seen one wearing tape on her face to try to protect her skin from the scarring. Everyone is loving the small gifts of Antibac, hand cream, moisturiser and lip balm to try to keep their skin in some sort of condition.

At the end of a 4 hour shift I am really tired. I walk home and shower as soon as I'm through the door. It's advised to wash that Covid out of your hair. I change my clothes too. I'm exhausted by all the walking, trying to perform the simplest of tasks in PPE and keeping a level of concentration to stay alert to others working around me and the potential risks of being in a Covid environment. 

Last year we all stood outside and clapped for the NHS. It was a nice gesture and a moment to catch up with your neighbours. Volunteering and seeing first hand what is happening in our hospitals has been a real eye opener for me. I am very grateful to the NHS and all the hard work they continue to do on a daily basis.

If you are inspired by this and want to help in any way then you can. Firstly, look after yourself, don't get sick, don't put added pressure on the NHS and protect others too. If you can do more, then seek out your local council or NHS Trust and ask if they have an organised scheme. My road got together to collect a box of goodies and had it delivered to the hospital. They ended up on the trolley as treats that I gave out on my rounds. Small acts of kindness can go a long way and I can attest that they are really appreciated. 

I've also volunteered at a vaccination centre. It's here that I am witnessing positivity and real hope from the general public that we have a route out of this past year's nightmare. There have been comments on how the process has been so well organised and getting the jab so slick. People are queuing up, wanting their jab, wanting to play their part to move forward. It's heartwarming to see. We are going to get through this.