I’d like to start this week’s message with a huge thank you to every single colleague working within our organisations across Humber, Coast and Vale.
In our hospitals and GP practices; in community services and mental health; in our CCGs and Local Authorities; in hospices and across the voluntary sector; in care homes and home care services: you are all playing your part in this important battle against COVID-19.
It has been a tough week for everyone and we are all adjusting to the new realities of life and working through the various changes and challenges that come with working in new ways.
Some of us are working from home for the first time, many of us are juggling caring responsibilities with work and schooling from home and others are adjusting to spending time away from loved ones due to the restrictions we all now face.
Not everyone will react to these new challenges in the same way and it is the responsibility of all of us to support one another and to look out for our colleagues and friends over the weeks and months to come. In addition, it is critically important that we take time to look after ourselves as well.
Last week, the first in a series of psychological support tools for NHS staff during the COVID-19 outbreak was launched. These tools and wellbeing apps have been produced to help all of us to look after our own health and wellbeing whilst supporting patients and family.
We don’t know exactly how long this situation will last, but we do know that it is more important than ever for us to lean on one another and support each other through the current challenges.
I hope you all experienced the display of support and appreciation from the British public on Thursday evening as thousands of people came out onto their balconies and doorsteps to clap and show their support for all our teams working across health and social care.
Also this week, over 7,500 clinicians agreed to return to the frontline and over 750,000 people volunteered to support the NHS. This is in addition to the volunteering efforts we are seeing in many of our neighbourhoods, coordinated and supported by our fantastic voluntary sector colleagues.
These acts of kindness and public spirit should be a reminder to us all of just how much the public supports and values our health and care system and we can all be proud to play a part within it.