As I write this editorial it is the beginning of a new academic year and preparations are almost complete for the new intake of students across the wide range of healthcare related programmes, both pre and post registration. But it all feels very different this year. Instead of standing in a lecture theatre with a group of students in front of me, I am preparing for an ‘online’ lecture. This means I won't ‘see’ the students; they will be icons on my computer screen, I won't have the same level of interaction as they tap questions into a bubble chat rather than out loud. I will feel a sense of isolation and dissociation from the group. Daunting you might think, but since I have now been working from home since March, this has become my new normal. I am suddenly aware of how my language has changed in the wake of COVID-19. I am not sure the phrase's ‘New Normal’ and ‘Unprecedented Times' have been used quite as often before these last few months. In fact if you do a Google search for new normal the top results would certainly suggest the phrase is almost exclusive to the current pandemic. On a deeper look at what is written online about that phrase you can find definitions and relationships, for example, Wikipedia (2020) (where I know a great many of the general public look to) states that ‘A new normal is a state to which an economy, society, etc. settles following a crisis, when this differs from the situation that prevailed prior to the start of the crisis. The term has been used in relation to the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the aftermath of the 2008–2012 global recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic’. If we look to the NHS Providers (2020) website, a slightly different focus can be seen. The briefing paper produced has questions to consider
- What impact will this have on trusts and patients?
- What are trusts doing to make more care available now?
- What will trusts have to deliver in this next phase of the NHS response to coronavirus?
- What constraints do trusts face in continuing to provide non-COVID care?
- What do trusts need to rise to the challenge?
This briefing paper was first published in May but the NHS Providers have continued to look at the impact of COVID-19, and are convinced that due to good planning around these five questions that the NHS has successfully navigated the first peak of coronavirus and coped well with the demand created by the virus. They feel this was achieved by focusing on clear objectives, and working with local partners to create additional capacity, allowing trusts to be able to manage the influx of COVID-19 patients (NHS Providers, 2020).
But as we move towards the possibility of a second peak, which may coincide with the normal winter seasonal flu expectations have plans and objectives changed? Those of us who have been around long enough will know the extra pressures the winter period puts on our NHS, and the thought that this could be compounded by a second wave of COVID-19 is giving cause for concern. The government is looking at the delivery mechanisms around seasonal flu vaccination programmes and increasing capacity. We know COVID-19 has not gone away, but as yet there is no successful vaccination for it, and our best offense against it remains a defensive one, with protective measures and social distancing. As ever though, I know the army of NHS healthcare workers will face the battle if it comes, with determination and positivity. You truly do make a difference.