'We're all exhausted' - NHS nurse tells LBC the 'dire' state at her hospital

4 January 2021, 14:08

'We're all exhausted' - NHS nurse tells LBC the 'dire' state of her hospital

By EJ Ward

One healthcare worker tells LBC that "the situation is incredibly dire" with Covid in hospitals and explains the impact of social media posts on her and her colleagues.

Amid a national conversation over the impact of Covid on hospitals, one NHS worker called in to speak to LBC's David Lammy.

Mel a nurse in Lincolnshire said things were "bad" where she worked even though it was quite a rural trust.

"I can tell you now that the situation is incredibly dire," the nurse told LBC warning the nation "hasn't even properly hit winter pressures yet."

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She explained when she worked on a night shift on Sunday "there was only one agency nurse to take over a full ward of patients."

"It took a couple of hours to get some backup," she explained to David.

Adding there was only a small pool of "absolutely exhausted nurses" to call on.

Talking about the toil the Covid pandemic has taken on her and her colleagues the healthcare worker said they were "on their knees."

Junior doctor tells LBC of desperate situation in hospitals

Opening up to LBC on the impact of social media posts claiming hospitals are empty and videos of deserted areas of hospitals, Mel clarified why some areas of medical facilities were not as busy as they normally were.

"None of the wards are shown, none of the wards are recorded, and we can't do that because we have to be safe."

Branding it a "poor demonstration" of what hospitals are facing the nurse said it upset her to see this put out by the public because "if you went on the wards you'd see a completely different picture."

"We are completely on our knees," the nurse told LBC.

Watch the whole insightful conversation in the video at the top of the page.