Life working in mental health on a psychiatric ward in a pandemic
Warning: some may find this a distressing read. I pushed the button, setting off the Ward Two alarm, but I knew that nobody would be coming to help. The radio crackled in my hand – “Rapid response required on Ward One, back up required on Ward One” – and I knew I couldn’t run to help either. My stomach growled from skipping lunch and my neck ached from where an acutely unwell woman had stood on a chair and strangled me from behind earlier that day. A surgical mask itched my nose. It was the bank holiday weekend in May and due to coronavirus, we were down seven staff members at the ...