ISRRT_COVID-19_book

implemented was that the radiology registrars provided an overnight on-site reporting
provision to help immediately report chest and CT images. This provided invaluable support
to the clinicians looking after COVID-19 patients.
During the morning a senior radiographer on duty asked if I wanted to assist him on a couple
of mobile chest x-ray examinations in ED in the red COVID-19 area. Of course, I wanted to
help, as a clinical leader I would never ask the team to do anything I am not prepared to do
myself – so off we went. We put the correct PPE on which was in line with the current
guidance at that time, however looking back and in hindsight it was not quite as stringent as
the guidance was evolving and I remember that all we had on was a surgical face mask, rubber
gloves and apron. On completion of the mobile chest examinations, we were returning back
to the radiology department when we were met by as entourage of medical personnel
escorting an intensive care patient who was being transferred and who was obviously very
unwell. All the medical personnel looked to be wearing HAZMAT suits and had respirators and
the patient who was in a bed was engulfed in a plastic tunnel. It felt completely surreal and
like I was on a film set – All I could think of was the movie “Outbreak” and it made me feel
really anxious and nervous about the whole situation. The Corona Virus had well and truly
arrived in the UK!
March 23 rd 2020 – Officially locked down
Boris Johnston, the UK Prime minister decided to enforce “You Must Stay at Home” apart
from key and essential workers. From a family perspective this was initially received positively
as my husband was asked to work from home so he was also responsible for home schooling
our teenage son who was in his last year of GSCE’s. This took some pressure off me as a full
time working mother, I could focus on just coming to work and concentrating at the job in
hand which was to care for patients with COVID-19 and support my team. So, I do consider
myself quite lucky in this respect and the fact that I was going out of the same four walls and
working and socialising at work with my work colleagues.
The positives
The positive things I reflect on from the pandemic is how the NHS has improved
communication and cut bureaucracy at a time when making the right timely decisions was
key to success. Quite often decisions and planning anything in the NHS is confronted with
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