Under-pressure NHS heroes get vital help
Volunteers have come to the rescue of desperate ICU staff driven to breaking point by Covid-19 and forced to appeal for help with basic wellbeing items.
The Hampers for Heroes team members were shocked when they received a request from doctors asking for simple items like coffee and toiletries to help them through the growing pressures of the pandemic.
The staff revealed the daily struggle of coping with the coronavirus crisis, saying they had suffered mental health issues and burnout and often ended up driving home in tears.
Hampers for Heroes immediately launched an appeal for help and in just over a week raised more than £5,000 and collected mountains of donations, which are being packaged up and delivered to the under-pressure staff.
Victoria Hanson, founder of the community interest company, said she had been blown away by the response after she shared the initial request from an ICU doctor online.
“Many staff are suffering from burnout and mental health issues and they need more help and support,” she said.
“We had to help when we heard about this and we’ve been overwhelmed by the support shown so far.
“We need that support to continue so that we can continue to help these emergency workers in such difficult times.”
Hampers for Heroes was set up in the first lockdown and stemmed from Victoria spotting an appeal for hand cream for nurses on Facebook.
She was joined by a team of volunteers who now help collect donations, pack and deliver hampers to sites including New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, Acorn’s Children’s Hospice in Walsall, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Victoria, based in Solihull, said she wanted to further help staff by offering counselling, meditation and therapy services and the extra funding that had come in meant that would soon be in place.
Supporters rallied to donate to the appeal after Victoria shared a direct appeal from an ICU doctor in the Midlands on social media.
The doctor’s appeal stated: “Pre-Covid we had the largest ICU in Europe and have now doubled our capacity and tripled our staffing. As I’m sure you are aware, we are now swamped with COVID patients and our staff are really struggling. Almost a year into the pandemic and we are back on emergency rotas with very low morale.
“I’m part of the ICU wellbeing team who are trying to do little things like make sure there are enough break rooms for all the staff, stocked coffee rooms with nice things to eat and drink and provide toiletries in the changing rooms.”
Victoria said since Hampers for Heroes was set up, the combined value of the fundraising total, including physical donations and volunteer time, had now reached in excess of £250,000.
To donate visit hampersforheroes.net/donate/
