By John Orchard, Chief Executive at Cavell Nurses’ Trust

It’s been 12 months since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in the UK and we all went into lockdown. Our lives were transformed overnight, streets deserted, places of work emptied. For millions of us an uneasy anxiety descended.

The UK faced the biggest health crisis for a generation and it was our nursing professionals who stepped up to the frontline and bore the brunt of the burden. They faced the trauma and distress of the pandemic on a daily basis. They witnessed many heart-breaking deaths, which many in the UK are still grieving. They worried about getting the virus and passing it on to loved ones, and they worked exhausting shifts to overcome staff shortages. This was experienced by people simply doing their job.

What we achieved together

Cavell Nurses’ Trust was proud to remain here for nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants throughout 2020. When the crisis hit the UK you helped us act quickly, creating a new fund to offer rapid support to nursing and midwifery professionals affected by COVID-19.

It’s just as well we did because from March 2020 until now, we’ve seen a 140% increase in the amount of nursing and midwifery professionals who needed our help compared to the same period the year before. This meant we had to give out nearly 3 times as much in grant funding to support those in crisis.

Your wonderful support meant together we met this rapid increase in need and delivered life-changing help.

Time to reflect

Now the UK has a roadmap for the end of restrictions, now is a good time to reflect on the relentless challenges our nurses have faced whilst delivering expert care for hundreds of thousands of patients over the last 12 months.

What will happen next? That’s the big question. In February an article in the Financial Times focused on the growing crisis in morale affecting the nursing workforce that threatens to persist beyond the end of the pandemic in the UK. There have been studies into the mental health of the workforce reported in the Nursing Times and by Kings College London which make for frightening reading.

The nurses I speak to, whether they are at the start of their career, or lead a workforce of thousands are all deeply concerned about their colleagues.

This is a very real situation. Nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants will be dealing with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for many months to come and the team at Cavell Nurses’ Trust is determined to create meaningful, long term support for our precious healthcare workforce.

Let’s make a difference.

However, please know this isn’t a hopeless situation and you can continue to be part of a solution. With your continued help we can handle a sustained increase in the need for Cavell Nurses’ Trust’s help in the coming months.

With you as part of the Cavell family we’re closer, every day, to a time when no nurse, midwife or healthcare assistant faces financial hardship alone.

Please consider making a donation or a regular gift today. This is such a special way of thanking all the wonderful nursing and midwifery staff who have worked so hard throughout this dreadful pandemic. Your gift will also go towards ensuring there is a robust safety net to help support those facing a personal or financial crisis in the future. Thank you.

Make your gift today