Nurse speaks of support for NHS

A district nurse fighting Covid-19 on the frontline has thanked the community for their unwavering support, including a garage that helped her in a time of need.

Helen Lloyd is a district nurse who was on her way home from her shift last week when she realised her tyre was punctured.
Knowing she had to drive to work the next morning, she pulled into Kwik Fit five minutes before they closed and was greeted by “helpful and friendly” staff who fixed the tyre free of charge.
The 53-year-old from Goole said, “They instantly knew I was a nurse needing help. They kept telling me that they would stay to sort out whatever the problem was so that I could get to work the next morning. They chatted while sorting out my car, asking how it was all going. They were really helpful and friendly.”
Helen, who’s been a nurse for 25 years, and more specifically a district nurse for Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust for more than three years, continues to visit her housebound patients, many of which are vulnerable with long-term health conditions.
The aim is to offer treatment and care to the individuals in the comfort of their own home so they don’t have to be admitted to hospital, however as the Covid-19 crisis has struck, the risk to both the patients and NHS staff has ramped up.
While Helen would normally only wear the standard Personal Protective Wear (PPE), such as an apron and gloves, she now must wear water resistant masks when seeing every patient.
She said: “Our team has been brilliant. We are trying to be positive. We are normally short staffed due to vacancies and we have staff self-isolating as well, but all the team are getting on with what they need to do. They are scared but supporting each other.”
She said the outpour of support NHS staff have received has been appreciated.
“It’s amazing all the help we are getting. The free drinks, free help, clapping for key workers is fantastic and helps keep our spirits up.
“Some of my team have been stopped in the street to say ‘thank-you’ for what we are all doing.
“Facebook is full of thank yous. Seeing the pictures in the windows is great. Families are grateful and appreciative of what we are doing.
“It’s nice to be appreciated as we are normally forgotten, as many people don’t know what we do.
“We don’t know how things are going to change over the next few weeks or months. But I would really like if people did as they are being asked to do, to reduce the number of patients contracting it or dying from the virus. The less patients with the virus the more care we can give.
“There just isn’t enough of us to go around who needs us.
“Hearing about the nurses and other key workers who have died from the virus that they have caught while at work is devastating. We are out there risking catching the virus while others are blatantly not doing as being asked.”
Helen has thanked all of the district and community nurses, especially her team at RDaSH North District and her team leader Janet.
“I’m proud to work with them.”