Desperate ICU staff helped by Hampers for Heroes after appeal for wellbeing items

Hamper delivery to Covid assessment unit
Hamper delivery to Covid assessment unit

Midlands volunteers have come to the rescue of desperate ICU staff driven to breaking point by Covid 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 pandemic, 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 Solihull-based community interest company, said she had been blown away by the response to the appeal 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.”

Victoria 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, stock coffee rooms with nice things to eat and drink and provide toiletries in the changing rooms.

“We had quite a lot of donations from big companies in the first wave but almost one year in these have dwindled off. The main things we are struggling with is keeping the coffee rooms stocked and products for a well-being pack for all staff. We currently have over 1,000 ICU staff so this is a bit of a mission.”

The doctor, who wished to remain anonymous, also contacted Victoria revealing the extent of the struggle.

“I cannot fully describe to you what it is like at the moment. Our staff work 12.5 hour shifts in head-to-toe PPE, often missing their breaks as there is simply too much to do and not enough hands,” the worker said.
“Normally each patient would be looked after by one specialist ITU nurse. Currently each ITU nurse is looking after three or four patients, and supporting a team of non-specialist staff made up of both nurses and doctors who are helping them with nursing care.

“They are exhausted. This has been going on since March and there hasn’t really been any reprieve. We have already lost a lot of staff to burnout, and yet it is still not over. As medical professionals we are not very good at looking after ourselves and tend to just soldier on.
“I can personally attest that there have been points in the last year where my mental health really suffered. I normally love my job and what I do, so to run out of the hospital and drive home in floods of tears is unusual for me, and sadly it was not just me like this. We need help now, not in six months’ time.”

Victoria said a delivery had already been made to the wellbeing team, including 15 hairdryers and hundreds of toiletry items for their washrooms. Another delivery has also been made to a Covid Assessment Unit.

The staff have been overwhelmed by the donations and the way the community has rallied in response to the appeal.

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 across the Midlands. They have delivered thousands of hampers and reached over 30,000 key workers, including teachers and carers as well as NHS staff.

Victoria said since the organisation 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/.