COVID-19: we’re in this together

In the Winter edition of our newsletter our Medical Director & Responsible Officer, Dr Helen McGill set herself a new year’s resolution to put pen to paper and start writing letters to an elderly friend. Yesterday she updated us on how that resolution now more than ever really matters.

“On the back of elderly people being advised to stay at home I have today written to 5 elderly friends who may be isolated to set up daily phone calls for a chat with them – many of them live a great distance away so I cannot do much physically but wanted to try to reduce their isolation – just a little something to help.”

Dr Helen McGill isn’t the only one in our Doctors Direct family considering how they can do a little more to support their friends, family and community at this time. Amanda, our Marketing Manager has put her daughters to work drawing pictures and writing letters for their Great Nans and has stocked up on funny cards to post to them.

Our onsite teams are providing frontline support in partnership with our Trusts for our doctor’s community, and helping to fill critical staffing gaps. Rachel Whitehurst is based Greater Manchester Mental Health and said her daily duties at the Trust have been put aside to focus on planning ahead, “I’m training 20 members of admin staff on our systems today to ensure that even with sickness the Trust will be able to advertise shift requirements. I’ve also text all of our Doctors Direct members at GMMH to check in on them and offer them extra support.”

The Doctors Direct hub teams are available as usual on 03330 143 652 or doctors@nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk to help all of our members through this period, Sarmad Masood said “We are open as normal and will do all we can to support our doctors and Trusts. If you want to work but cannot see a shift matching your availability, grade or specialty on the system, please give us a call.”

In these difficult times it’s been amazing to see every part of our NHS family pulling together. Follow us on Twitter as we begin our new Trust take over series with our onsite team providing updates about their day and the acts of kindness they are witnessing.