Generic image of old person with a nurse in a care home in Glasgow.. Hospital and care home staff in Lancashire are suffering from the “trauma” of more than a year of dealing with Covid and its devastating effects. That was the message to a group of senior NHS figures in the county, who heard that the pandemic had taken its toll on the health of some of those who have been on the frontline throughout, helping others. A meeting of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Strategic Commissioning Committee was told that the impact of the crisis was showing through in the two sectors that have been hit hardest by it.
A year on the pandemic frontline has taken its toll on some Lancashire health and care staff
“The regulated care sector [is] very fragile – both in relation to [its] financial position and some of the trauma that those staff have experienced,” explained Kathryn Lord, director of quality at East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
“We have lost large numbers of residents very quickly in some of those [care] homes, so bereavement support and support around resilience is [being provided to] staff. I think it’s important that we don’t forget that.”
The committee heard that a similar situation was facing some hospital workers. The absence rate across Lancashire and South Cumbria’s NHS trusts is declining and, at 7.4 percent, is in line with the national average.
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Accrington Victoria Hospital THE minor injuries unit at Accrington Victoria Community Hospital will re-open later this month. The services were suspended in January by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust as the number of inpatients fighting Coronavirus soared to an all time peak. The Trust implemented surge plans to cope with demand and redeployed staff from Accrington to care for people in other settings. Trust bosses said that although demand for services remained high and it continued to treat around 250 inpatients infected with the virus each day, it would reopen the unit on February 22. Sharon Gilligan, Chief Operating Officer at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We suspended minor injuries at Accrington Victoria in January when we were caring for a very high number of inpatients with Covid and really struggling to find enough staff to safely look after them. Staffing remains fragile for us at both Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital and Burnley General
VETERANS lending their support to assist Covid-19 vaccination hubs faced verbal abuse from some car drivers in Rossendale. Several members of Veterans In Communities, based in Haslingden, have been providing car parking marshals at the vaccination sites in Rawtenstall and Accrington. Operations Manager Bob Elliott said: “Our members have been doing an outstanding job in some quite challenging weather conditions and some unwarranted comments from car drivers who did not like where they were being told to park; however they continue to soldier on.” Strategic Manager for Rossendale Primary Care Networks Andy Laverty emailed VIC to praise the work of the volunteers saying: “The input of your volunteer marshals has been great. Please pass on my thanks. Well done all.”