Protecting the NHS – and Its Staff

Last month, I came back from my Christmas break feeling somewhat refreshed and ready to take on the year ahead. I would have felt even more refreshed if my time off had not been dominated by a bout of influenza. I was out of action for a week or so, but I certainly wasn’t alone – the realities of the “tripledemic” no doubt (1). My clash with infectious disease was nothing that analgesics, antipyretics, bed rest, and plenty of fluids couldn’t fix. But what if it had been more serious?

For the past 75 years, the NHS has served the UK as a publicly funded healthcare system (one of few in the world) – delivering care without concern about the financial situation of the people who walk through its doors.

But the NHS is currently in disarray; long waiting times for ambulances and emergency care are causing significant pressure and putting patients at risk. The government is placing the blame on rising flu and COVID-19 cases but, if we peek behind the curtain, it’s not hard to see there are other contributing factors. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were clear warning signs that workforce shortages and staff burnout were putting an increasing strain on NHS professionals who deserve far better (2).

Industrial action has been a running theme across numerous sectors in the UK over the past few months, driven by demands for better working conditions and pay amidst the “cost of living” crisis. Nurses and ambulance staff across the country were among those taking part in strikes in December and January – and more are planned for February if an agreement cannot be reached. Mitigative measures have been put in place and the Royal College of Nursing has agreed on strike derogations to protect patients accessing key services (3).

Healthcare workers across the world put their lives at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver the best care they could to patients – working through PPE shortages, changing guidelines, and rising patient numbers, while covering staff who needed to isolate. I am sure many of you reading this were on the frontlines – and for those of us who were not, it’s hard to imagine how exhausting and upsetting it must be dealing with burnout in a healthcare setting.

The stark reality: you can’t pour from an empty cup. By taking better care of NHS workers (and healthcare practitioners everywhere, for that matter), we give them the power to deliver optimal care to patients – without sacrificing their own mental or physical health.

Among a good Sunday roast, complaining about the weather, and sarcasm to the nth degree, the NHS is deeply ingrained in our national psyche, but that doesn’t mean we should take it – or its workers – for granted.

ID Transmission is fortunate to bring in an audience from around the globe, so I understand that some of you may not necessarily relate to the NHS – but I know many of you will relate to the stresses and strains of delivering healthcare. And I am sure you can all see that a service able to deliver care to those who need it, when they need it – irrespective of the income or background of its patients – should be saluted and protected.