Thanks to our NHS Alumnae
Resilience takes on a whole new meaning when you are on the frontline, dealing with the pandemic.
Our South Hampstead alumnae have been playing their own part within the NHS over the past few months. We are in contact with 12 nurses and 133 medics, many of whom have been working in COVID wards or volunteering as medical students.
These messages from some of our alumnae sum up the personal sacrifices and strength they have shown.
“It has been emotionally very challenging working as an oncology doctor (registrar) throughout the COVID pandemic. The pressure on doctors and nurses has been extremely high over the past few months. Never have I been so proud of my colleagues for maintaining spirits and turning up to work each day in order to save others, knowing that they are putting themselves and their families at risk. I believe nurses are the real heroes in this pandemic as they are the ones who have had to provide personal care which involves close contact with patients, increasing their risk of contracting COVID even more. Despite this, they have never hesitated to hold a hand of a patient with COVID suffering when they have needed it the most. I am also very grateful for the support the public have shown in supporting the NHS with charitable contributions, heartfelt claps and food provisions. This is what has kept us going, particularly at the darkest times. We will be stronger now than ever before, but there is still a lot of healing to take place. My husband is also a doctor at the Royal Free Hospital in Renal Medicine and has been working through the pandemic. Our baby daughter went to nursery at 7 months so that we could both go to work and help – their staff are incredibly brave for looking after children of key workers. My class friends from South Hampstead have been a great support throughout – seven of us have spoken every Saturday night on Zoom for the duration of lockdown. We are all still very close, and South Hampstead taught us all to be resilient, which has helped us get through this difficult time.” – Pandora Rudd, Class of 2005
South Hampstead taught us all to be resilient which has helped us get through this difficult time.
“I have taken time out of my training to undertake a PhD at Imperial College. During the crisis, I was caring for patients at the frontline whilst my PhD was put on hold. I was involved in managing patients on the ward as well as helping out my colleagues in ITU. Unfortunately during this time, I tested positive for COVID-19 myself. This was a slightly anxious time but after 2 weeks I was able to get back to work and continue to do my job. I absolutely love what I do and am grateful to be able to help. I am passionate about surgery, but also about education. I have recently started a platform on social media (@thefemalesurgeon on instagram) to encourage students to pursue a career in surgery.” – Scarlet Nazarian, Class of 2008
‘I was re-deployed to the COVID frontline in my London teaching hospital in mid-March. It has certainly been a career-defining experience. It was an intense few weeks and now, as we begin to pivot back to speciality and re-group, there are some positives that will emerge in the embrace of technology, more flexible working and working from home, team building and the sureness that a can do, nimble, quick footed approach is what the future looks like.’ – Saira Hameed Greenwold, Class of 1996
A can-do, quick-footed approach is what the future looks like.
“For the past few months, I have been working at Barts hospital and a local GP practice, trying to help nurses and doctors in easing the burden on the NHS. Despite the emotional toll that comes with working in healthcare at these times, the support and love I have felt and seen within our teams and from the public has revived my love for Medicine, and I am forever grateful for our wonderful NHS!” – Yasamin Zolfaghari, Class of 2015
‘I work as a Consultant in Geriatrics and General Medicine at Barnet Hospital and thought I’d write a few words about some of my experiences during the COVID crisis. It will be 20 years since I qualified as a doctor this summer and I can honestly say that the last 3 months have been the most challenging but also some of the most rewarding of my career. Most of us have never worked in a pandemic and have had very little training to do so. We’ve adapted how we work in small and huge ways almost overnight. I now change my shoes and clothes before I leave work each day and don’t get a hug from my children until I’ve showered when I get home. I have had to learn ways to communicate with elderly, confused patients from behind a mask and without examining them. I can’t feel their abdomen or listen to their chest – my stethoscope has been gathering dust in my bag since mid March. I have had to call relatives to tell them their loved ones are dying on the phone without being able to sit with them and comfort them. I have been asked to decide whether a patient is allowed to have a visitor with them as they pass away. There have also been some positive experiences that will stay with me. Sitting with colleagues from all levels and specialties at the end of a long and harrowing day, sharing our experiences and supporting eachother has been crucial and frankly unusual in a profession that often prides itself on being able to cope with anything. “Clapping out” a nurse colleague who is being discharged home from ITU after recovering from COVID. And, most memorably, quietly holding hands with a scared and confused elderly patient on the ward who just needed some human contact and comfort in the alien environment of the ward.’ Shama Mani, Class of 1994
On behalf of all of us at South Hampstead, we just want to say thank you to all our alumnae doctors and nurses – torchbearers and role models for the next generation.