10 minute read
Habeo ut Dem
Habeo ut Dem I have that I may give
One of the positive things that many hope will come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is a change from the ‘me first’ culture that has seemed increasingly prevalent in our society. For Tudorians, giving back is not a novel concept, it is an integral part of who we are and what we do. As a school, we are immensely proud of the role our OT community is playing in rising to the challenges created by the pandemic, using their skills - whatever these may be - to make a positive difference. Some work in a profession where they are playing a vital role, some are giving their time and utilising their skills in volunteer roles and others are quietly supporting family, friends, neighbours and their wider communities in any way they can.
Here we celebrate just some of the wonderful contributions OTs are making:
OTs WORKING IN THE NHS
‘The battle against Coronavirus’ is a commonly used phrase, but just how does working in the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic compare to working on the front line in a conflict zone? OT Harriet Charles-Jones (Turner, 1997) served with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Afghanistan as part of her ten year career as a Medical Officer in the British Army. Now practising as a GP in Oxfordshire, she shares her insights into the current pandemic.
“In military operations, we usually knew the enemy well and had the benefit of months of pre-deployment training and standard operating procedures to follow. I would be involved in the planning and would know what to expect before heading out on patrol. Obviously with the current situation, there are a lot of unknowns.
Harriet on patrol in Helmand after treating a local. OP HERRICK, Afghanistan 2007.
For me, the biggest challenge has been a clinical one - learning how to manage conditions under
these changed circumstances. As well as learning about a whole new virus, there has been a
multitude of guidance published about safe practice within the restrictions; a great deal of
new information to assimilate. Dealing with patients’ anxieties, great deal of new information to assimilate. both about COVID-19 directly and the implications to their pre-existing health concerns, consultations already formed part of my practice before can be difficult. However, that’s also a privilege that the pandemic, the NHS generally had been a bit behind comes with being a GP. with adopting technology, so the current situation has moved things along exponentially. Nearly all of Oxfordshire has been behind the curve in terms of my consultations with patients are undertaken either Covid cases, so we have had a little more time to by video or telephone at the moment, only donning prepare. At the surgery I work in, my colleagues and I PPE for those that I really do need to see in person. quickly changed the way we work and divided up the This is as much to protect them from me as vice versa. workforce to ensure our ‘at risk’ staff were not exposed We also have a team of Advanced Nurse Practitioners to the virus and could, therefore, keep practising, and Health Care Assistants carrying out home visits for albeit remotely. Whilst telephone triage and video shielding patients, but everything takes a little longer Harriet working at her GP clinic. with all the extra precautionary measures. The practice has been contributing staff to one of the local Covid Assessment, Liaison and Monitoring (CALM) hubs for ‘red patients’ with Covid symptoms who need assessing further, but not necessarily admitting to hospital. This means that we can keep the surgery ‘clean’. I shall be taking my turn next week.
With the ongoing threat from COVID-19 and the current lockdown restrictions, my emerging fear is that nonCovid patients in the community who need our help are not presenting. The response to the ‘stay home, protect the NHS’ message has been so well adhered to, which is great, but it leaves some people who need a doctor fearful of getting in touch. I worry for the delayed referrals and the lapse in care of chronic conditions. I think the repercussions will be huge. We are keen for everyone to understand that the NHS is still ‘open for business’ and that there are measures in place to minimise the risks to non-Covid patients across medical settings. Please use your GP if you need to.”
OT Victoria Bradford (2007), shares her experiences of working as a doctor in NHS Lothian, Scotland, at this challenging time.
“This is one of the most interesting and terrifying times of any doctor’s career. I am currently training to be a GP, having previously worked in A&E for five years and spent time working in ITU (Intensive Care) as well. I’m working in a practice at the moment, but am waiting to find out whether I will be moved from my practice back to the hospital if they become short-staffed there.
Our practice work is very different right now, as most of my consultations are by telephone and I’m finding it tough to fully portray compassion over the phone, or dressed head-to-toe in PPE.
It has been great to see how people have been respecting the emergency services. A&E attendances in Scotland are at a record low; people are taking a lot more responsibility for their own health. There is a lot more respect for healthcare workers generally and the clapping every Thursday feels really emotional.
Having recently graduated from medical school, OT Akanksha Goyal (2014) shares her experiences of working on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am currently working as a junior doctor on a coronavirus ward. It has, of course, been challenging dealing with this new situation. The patients are deteriorating so quickly and it is very difficult to manage when we do not have an effective treatment available. It often feels that there is little that we can do except watch and wait. The toughest part for me is speaking to the relatives; due to the visiting restrictions we are having to have really difficult conversations over the phone, often having to break bad news to them when they haven’t been able to see their relatives during their admission. Our Trust is looking into getting tablets from charity money to enable family members to see their loved ones while they are in hospital.
Things are tough – it’s emotionally and physically draining and unfortunately the reality is that this doesn’t end with lockdown for us – the NHS is going to be dealing with the repercussions of COVID-19 for years. We are going to have to pick up the operations that were cancelled, the procedures that were pushed back and the people who have been left with serious physical or mental health problems because of COVID-19. This is just stage one.
It is lovely to see how people are currently respecting the NHS and keeping our time clear for those who really need us, but it would be even more fantastic if this change could last.”
There has been a lot of illness among the healthcare team as well - unfortunately I tested positive for the virus last week. Thankfully I had a mild illness and am now fully recovered. However, we are learning more and more about the disease every day. The team spirit on the ward is incredible and we appreciate the support from the public so much. At my hospital we have had everything from Easter eggs to headbands donated and we are so grateful for it!”
FOOD4HEROES OTs SUPPORTING THE NHS
Food4Heroes aims to ensure that all NHS staff are able to access healthy, nutritious and delicious meals whilst dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. This national initiative, co-founded by OT parent John Brownhill and his sister Amanda Guest, works with local caterers and restaurants in each region to provide homemade meals to local NHS hospitals and trusts that require them.
When professional caterer Hester Sale (Irvine, 1984), who runs ‘Hester’s Cookery Club’ at Tudor, was approached to lead the Food4Heroes initiative in Oxfordshire, she rose to the challenge. Harriet Granville (Former Deputy Head and President of the OTA Committee) played a key role in sourcing a kitchen for her at Cherrington Village Hall, arriving with a bottle of Prosecco & Limoncello as a mid-morning energy boost. During the first week, she provided 240 meals to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, but demand quickly escalated and she was in need of a larger kitchen. So, over the Easter holidays, Tudor’s teaching kitchens – which form part of the fabulous new Teaching Centre facilities – became a Food4Heroes catering hub, providing 150 meals a day to the Horton Hospital, Banbury (Monday to Friday) and 240 meals a day to the John Radcliffe (Saturday and Sunday).
Currently furloughed from her job in London, where she usually works as an interior designer, Connie Sale (2016) has not only been working alongside her mother, Hester, in the kitchen, she has been using her organisational skills to co-ordinate the whole
operation in Oxfordshire. “I was concerned about how I was going to fill this time, but within four days of being home from London, I was busy and working my normal hours. I am so grateful to be able to be playing a small part in this crisis; it has been an invaluable experience, and one I hope to look back on with pride.”
Once Hester and Connie have written shopping lists and sourced food for 1,290 meals, the food is prepared, packed and delivered by a team of OT volunteer families and others. They work on a set day each week to reduce the risk of infection, and thankfully Tudor’s new teaching kitchen is large enough to maintain social distancing. In addition to cooking delicious meals, such as beef casserole, for which the beef has been kindly donated by OT parent Jonathan Jameson,
volunteers package and label the meals. They are then placed in cool boxes and delivered to the hospital by Bob, one of Tudor’s terrific team of minibus drivers, ably supported by Tudor parent volunteers.
In addition to Hester’s daughters, Connie and Grace (UVI), the amazing team of Food4Heroes volunteers include OTs Emma Brown (Dickinson, 1985)
and her daughters Camilla (2011) and Starzie (2013); Georgina McGrath (Aldous, 1984) and her daughter Lottie (2017); Ku Webber (McGregor, 1976) and her daughters Flora (2014) and Millie Scott (2016); Melissa Barlow (Kimpton, 1985) and her daughter Lola (LVI); Harriet Baring (Irvine, 1985); Polly Shillington (Kennedy, 1989); Harriet Bracey (2014) and her father Mark; Bonny Miller
Far left: Hester and daughter Connie.
Above: Camilla, Emma and Starzie Brown.
Left: Nurses receiving the food prepared at Tudor.
Right: Trays of delicious food ready to distribute.
(2014); Imy Skinner (2015); Katie Ross (2016) and her father Jez; Harriet Miesegaes (2016) and her family; Tilly Rigby (2016); Cicely Best (2016); Lucy Chetwode (2016); Rosie Radford (2017) and her sister Lily; Eliza Lord (2018); Isobel Pougatch (2018), her sister Saskia and their family; Rose Lord (2018) and her sister Anna (UVI); and Kitty Chetwode (2019).
“I cannot thank the volunteers enough for their enthusiastic support,” Hester reflects. “I could not have set any of this up without Connie and the amazing help from all involved. It’s wonderful when a time like this brings all OTs back together (no one has changed!). The brave NHS staff are being fed so well by us all, which is the least we can do to help and it is an honour to give back to the amazing hospitals in some way.” R
www.food4heroes.co.uk/regions#south-east Insta: @food4heroes1 @hesterscookeryclub
