DAUK’s President Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden joins The Guardian’s Health Policy Editor Denis Campbell on the ‘Today in Focus’ Podcast with Anushka Asthana.

Fears that the NHS could be overwhelmed within weeks have prompted new national lockdowns across the UK. There are now more than 30,000 people in NHS hospitals with coronavirus as staff levels have been hit too by the disease. 

The Guardian’s health policy editor, Denis Campbell, tells Anushka Asthana that the rapidly rising number of Covid patients is forcing hospitals to cancel non-urgent operations and ration care. Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, who works in intensive care units, says staff are feeling exhausted as their workloads continue to expand. She welcomes the new lockdown but fears the toll on the NHS and staff is becoming unbearable.

Listen here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/audio/2021/jan/07/how-nhs-is-facing-biggest-ever-winter-crisis-coronavirus-podcast?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

“As opposed to [the first wave] where we were described as heroes, now we receive messages that say we are lying… it’s really painful. There are no words to explain what we see on a daily basis… When you hear these conspiracy theories, it just breaks your heart.”

“Right now, we are all on autopilot. We don’t have enough time to express grief. Maybe when the storm has passed, that’s when we’ll find out how much it is has affected all of us.”

“30% of NHS doctors were born overseas. A good proportion of these people have their families living in different continents. Not being able to visit their family, yet working day in, day out for the NHS… there is no better portrayal of loyalty than this.”

Dr Pushpo Babul Hossain, DAUK

Listen to the full podcast here.

You can now listen to Jenny’s full speech as a podcast on the ICS site, including advice on how doctors can avoid litigation.