MEMORIES OF LOCKDOWN NHS and Key Workers The other morning whilst drinking a brew my mind wondered to not only the latest lockdown but previous ones too. I thought about how personally I have been treated by the NHS and key workers, and about how grateful I am for all they have done. My local doctors have been excellent. From the outset all vulnerable patients were provided with a specic landline number. This was to be used only if or when you had any type of concern in regards to COVID 19 or the lockdown and required guidance. Also I used to have quarterly visits to the practice nurse for routine bloods, however because of risk from COVID -19 the nurse has been coming to my home. The Borough Council have also been thoughtful. They formed a hub. Staff members were recruited from their usual departments and this hub was created. Their role was to ring around all the vulnerable in the area to see how they were coping with lockdown, and to see if there was anything they could do in order to help. Initially because of our family situation things were quite difcult. My Dad who is 85, brother who has a lung condition and myself a transplant patient, were all shielders and therefore all vulnerable. This obviously made helping each other out difcult. Dad ended up receiving food parcels, as did my brother and initially me too! My brother and his wife who works in a nursing home ended up both testing positive for COVID, although neither were hospitalised. Fortunately my local council helped me get on a priority supermarket shopping slot. Also the local council sent me a list of local traders who were making home deliveries, free of charge on most occasions. I was quite conscious of supporting small local shops rather than buying everything from the supermarket. Therefore I ordered fruit and vegetables, bread etc. and meat all delivered to my home, by a small local trader. We still support the local trader to this day. The only thing that disappointed me initially was the supermarket. To let the customers ll up trolleys with loo roll, hand wash and water was irresponsible. Thankfully this is not now the situation. However, recently I had 4 x 2 litre bottles of water on my online supermarket shopping list. This was not delivered. I do not drink tap water only bottled. The solution to this was in the next paragraph. During lockdown I receive assistance from local NHS Keyworkers. These people are volunteer members of the public recruited to offer assistance to the vulnerable. Once a week I receive a phone call from a keyworker and asked if I need any assistance. In the previous paragraph I mentioned not receiving any bottled water with my supermarket shop. I asked the volunteer to get me some, and it was delivered 2 hours later. They just showed me the receipt and I repaid them in cash. Ironically it was bought from the supermarket that had missed it from my online LIVErNEWS Issue 74 ~
10 ~ Spring 2021
