A member of our administrative staff has swapped his suit for a set of scrubs, after being redeployed for the fourth time to help in the fight against Covid-19.

Over the past year, some of our office-based workers have been stepping up to help support those working on the front line.

Callum Oubridge, who works in our Education Centre, is one of those to have been redeployed to a new team.

Callum now helps out in the Oxygen Response Team after a successful time in our Vaccination Hub and two spells in our Supplies Department, who keep our clinical teams stocked with PPE.

“I’ve been in the Trust for three and a half years, and this was my first day in scrubs,” he said. “There’s a lot of interaction with patients, I have to check their oxygen levels, and make sure they’ve got the right mask.

“It’s my first taste of patient-based work and I enjoyed sitting and having a chat with the people. They’ve not been able to have any visitors in, so that probably was the reason why a few of them were more upbeat and happy when we were coming around and having a chat with them because they probably only speak to the same nurses. Just see a new face was nice for some of them who had been in for a few weeks.”

Being on the wards has given Callum a first-hand insight into what many people have only seen on the news. The experience so far has led Callum to encourage others to keep safe so they don’t fall ill.

“It was quite eye-opening. I’ve got friends who are nurses and doctors and you hear the stories they tell and now I’m seeing some of that myself.

“There are people I know who are still a bit sceptical about the seriousness of Covid-19 and I keep trying to urge them to stick to the rules.

“Some people think this only affects older people but some of the patients I’ve spoken to are only in their thirties.

“We all need to be selfless and understanding about the situation we’re in. 

“Our doctors and nurses are working long shifts and all we’re asking is for people to stay in the comfort of their own homes so that we can have fewer cases and less pressure on our hospitals and staff.

“If people did just spend a day on the wards, they’d understand how serious this is. Our staff are working hard on the wards all day and then having to go home and stay in just like everyone else, and then go into work the next day and do it all again.”

Callum also says he is glad to be able to play his part in what has been a very challenging situation for our staff.

He said: “Even though I’m not directly saving patients’ lives, the work I’m doing is something I’m proud of. I would like to think that those contributions are helping ease the strain on everyone else.”

We previously caught up with Callum in April 2020, when he was helping out with PPE.

“After the last story, people were coming up to me and saying ‘thank you,’ but they’re nurses and doctors and I was thinking ‘no, thank you!’ he said.

“To see people like that, with their responsibilities and what they’re doing, to take the time to come up to me and say thank you was really nice.”