NHS workers on ‘hell’ of Covid-19 wards at Gloucestershire hospital
NHS staff at a hospital in Gloucestershire have spoken out after an influx of Covid-19 patients reached record levels.
Adam Zirps, who works as a critical care practitioner at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, said the past year has been the “hardest” of his medical career to date.
He started the pandemic at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital and said his experience of working with Covid-19 patients had been “harrowing”.
"That was difficult, that was pretty harrowing," he said. "It's been scary at times. We've got used to dealing with what we are dealing with now, but it's not getting easier.
"It's relentless."
Adam has worked on intensive care units (ICU) for the past 13 years but said this ranks as the most challenging one yet.
Meanwhile critical care nurse Jade Sharpe, who had worked in ICU for seven years, warned younger patients are now being affected.
"We are seeing people struggling every day in awful conditions,” Jade said. “The influx of patients, more and more. The patients we are seeing are a lot younger.”
Her message to the public was to “stay at home - if you don't need to leave the house, then don't."
Another staff member Kylie, who did not give her surname, normally works in theatre but has been moved to ICU to support her colleagues.
She described the working conditions as “hell”.
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