FOR nearly two years, people across the UK have been thanking the NHS for the incredible sacrifices made during the pandemic.
However for some NHS staff who work behind the frontline, recognition for their understated yet vital work often goes unnoticed.
The Daily Echo spent a morning in Poole Hospital to meet with and give a voice to the unsung heroes of the pandemic.
“Porters are Gods”
Hospital corridors can be a hive of activity. Regularly seen bustling their way through these narrow channels are porters, described on the NHS website as “the heartbeat of NHS hospitals”.
Paul Holloway has been acting supervisor for 19 months, helping organise porter operations throughout the hospital.
He said: “A porter takes patients from A to B, we deliver units of blood, specimens off the wards, security calls, and obviously looking after our patients and each other.
“When Covid came on board, a lot of colleagues caught it so [my bosses] asked me to work the desk just to support us. They said it would only be for about six weeks or so and 19 months later I’m still covering the desk.”
Paul, who has worked in Poole for six years, joked: “Porters are Gods, we can do anything and everything.
“But the virus has changed things for us. When the virus struck we had to step up, improve communication and be team members.”
“What the heck have I done?”
If porters are the heartbeat, the logistics team are the gateway to the hospital. Almost everything material found in the hospital, from bedpans to a packet of crisps, has been sorted and dispatched by this small but hardworking outfit.
Logistics assistant Peter Shakesheff joined the hospital, where his wife also works, in mid-2019 for a “nice little job” before retirement.
He said: “I initially joined to see me through to my retirement and then six months later I’m in the middle of a pandemic and thinking what the heck have I done?
“I’ve actually never been so busy in all my life, but I absolutely love it. We’ve been through quite literally millions of masks and gloves in the last two years.
“We’re all conscious of the fact that if we get Covid, we’re in dire straits as there aren’t extra troops we can call on to step in.”
The dozen or so members of the team have all given up holiday at times to support each other and keep up with the constant intake of stock.
Peter, 57, added: “We feel sometimes nobody appreciates how stuff gets into a hospital in the first place because it’s just there when you arrive, they don’t realise it’s a team of 12 or less who process everything. It is a lifeline to the hospital and I’m very proud to work here.”
“The kids, when they see you like that, can get a little bit scared.”
Hospital cleanliness is all the more important in the current climate, which makes the work of people like Agnes Mazur vital.
Agnes has worked as a cleaner at Poole for 14 years. She said: “With the pandemic, going into certain wards we have to wear lots more PPE than we used to.
“Wearing a mask and all the PPE on a children’s ward is difficult because the kids, when they see you like that, can get a little bit scared. Normally I’m friendly and smiley so I feel really sorry about that. They get limited visitors so I feel sad I can’t take it off and talk to them more closely – it’s a human thing.
“I hope we can get back to normal and open our faces soon. It’s much better going to the room of a patient who feels lonely to give them a smile and make them feel better. It makes a big difference.”
“Being listened to is a gift.”
Whatever your beliefs, religion or discipline, the hospital chaplain service is always available as a “presence” of comfort for patients, visitors and staff.
Often, Deacon Brian Purchase says he will visit a non-religious patient who has trepidation about speaking to a chaplain. However, he has found these people often ask him for religious comfort.
He said: “It’s those things where you see something deep within someone where they want something different and they can’t find it for themselves. By listening, you hear their need and do your best to help and that’s a gift, being listened to is a gift.”
Brian says NHS staff have used the chaplaincy service much more as the pandemic progressed, including those who “never would have done” under normal circumstances.
He said: “The thing about NHS staff is they are incredible. They’re resilient and caring but I think it’s just that need of ‘how am I going to deal with this?’ In the early throws it was all like belt and braces but now it’s becoming a physical, emotion and spiritual process to get through it.”
“There is this army of people that you may never know exist...”
Tucked away in the vessels of Poole Hospital is the microbiology unit, which provide services to aid the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases.
At the helm is laboratory manager Andy Barber, a 40-year veteran at Poole.
“They say that 80 per cent of all patients within the NHS are affected by someone in pathology,” says Andy. “There is this army of people that you may never know exist, but we’re here all the time.
“If you speak to anyone in pathology, they’ll say they feel unrecognised. We’re not looking for glory but a little recognition sometimes would be nice for us I think.
“We’re probably running 100-120 rapid Covid swabs and sending around 150 swabs to UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) every day.”
Andy says they have recruited recent university graduates as trainees to help balance workloads amid a national scientist shortage.
He said: “These guys are up against it every day and it has never failed to impress me how they deliver.
“They’re my team and they’re brilliant. My job is to protect this team.”
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