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COVID 19 Pandemic: Life as a hospital doctor with CP

Kirsty Colquhoun picture

Kirsty Colquhoun is a consultant geriatrician and has CP. Her blog looks at life working in a COVID ward during the pandemic, the impact of working through the crisis, asking for expert support when needed, and why #StampOutThe Gap matters to her.

The first patient I successfully discharged home from my COVID ward was an older lady with Cerebral Palsy, we were all delighted when she got home, as we were for all our patients. 

I work as a consultant geriatrician in Glasgow.  This means that I look after older adults, particularly those who are frailer.  COVID, for the group of patients I care for has been catastrophic.  Age is the biggest risk factor for having a poor outcome if you contract COVID.  I have spent the past 8 months working in older adult COVID wards.  At one point, Older Peoples Services, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where I work, was looking after 10% of Scotland’s COVID inpatients.

This year has been exhausting and brutal, physically and emotionally, but whatever I have felt has never been as bad as what my patients and their loved ones have gone through.  There has been tragic stories like people losing both of their parents within days of each other, that is heart-breaking to witness, and I will never forget those patients and their families.  Most of the patients who I look after, would not survive an intensive care admission, however, we still deliver the highest possible care we can give, tailoring it to the needs of that patient.  The first patient I successfully discharged home from my COVID ward was an older lady with Cerebral Palsy, we were all delighted when she got home, as we were for all our patients.

Kirsty Colquhoun pictureHowever, it is not all doom and gloom in the NHS.  While there can always be things you look back on and think you could have done differently, everyone working has pulled together like never before and tried their absolute best.  This time last year we had no known treatment for COVID – now we have several.  The scientists have worked extraordinarily hard.  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to enrol in the Oxford vaccine trial last June (and as I subsequently found out in January – lucky to have been in the COVID vaccine group).  Just 6 months on that vaccine was being rolled out to give us a route out of this pandemic, which is amazing.  We have tried to continue as much of our other non-COVID work as possible.  For example in the work I do with older cancer patients we have been using virtual means.  COVID has given us an opportunity to change the way we work and some of that may be for the better.

Sadly COVID has supercharged already pre-existing inequalities.  You are more likely to die of COVID if you live in a deprived area.  For some there is a view that if you are older, have a disability or a chronic health condition you are somehow less valuable.  That is wrong and we must push back against that mind-set. I would fall into the category of having a disability, it seems to surprise some that someone with a disability could work (more than full time) as a consultant, particularly work in COVID wards.  But why, disabled people are working in all areas of society, just like everyone else.  I can assure you my life is no less valuable than the next persons, nor those of any disabled person.  During the pandemic there has been a focus on wellbeing and kindness.  Let us come out of this a fairer society and do our upmost to tackle these inequalities.  As this pandemic has shown, no one knows what the next day holds or who could acquire a disability or chronic health problem.

When we are out the other side of this we will all need time to recover.  For some it will be from the grief of losing loved ones, for others it will from financial hardships, for some it will be from the exhaustion and emotional toll of trying to balance working from home with home schooling and for many it will be the from the emotional strain of the past year!  A surprise challenge for me has been the physical impact the pandemic has had on my cerebral palsy.

I normally carefully balance long working hours with a mix of marathon outdoor swimming (I hoped my swimmers lungs would stand me in good stead if I caught COVID on the wards), Pilates and weights.  But all that disappeared.  I was standing longer at work, sitting longer at home and doing less of the things that keep me on my feet.  By last month I was in much more pain than usual and my function had deteriorated to a level I cannot recall as an adult.  It is at that point that you realise there is really no services easily available for adults with Cerebral Palsy except if you go to the private sector or the charity sector.  I have to admit I was scared, scared that this was my new normal, and that the independence and career I had worked so hard to achieve was changing.

I have privately had to see a musculoskeletal physio, who has been a great help.  However, I have had my first session with Cerebral Palsy Scotland.  I have had a full top to toe MOT by a Cerebral Palsy Specialist Physio.  Everything from the way I sleep to the way I stand has been looked at.  I know I will not only come out the other side of this as I was but have the opportunity to come out better. This is why the #StampOutTheGap campaign is so important.  People with Cerebral Palsy need and deserve the same access to specialist services as anyone else would who have a health condition or disability.

I realise I am lucky, throughout the pandemic, I have been able to come into work and do a job that I love and no matter how bad things have felt it is always a privilege to do that job and I would never want to do anything else.  I have had the support and kindness of the most amazing colleagues and that human contact is something so many people have not had this year.

I work in a Department with some exceptionally inspiring people, the first female president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, the current President of the British Geriatric Society.  Excellence is expected, disability or not, and that is what I want and strive for.  But just as important is the ethos of kindness, support and wellbeing.  I am being given the time and support to get better and I wish I could bottle the inclusivity that I experience for others.  The day I had to take some time off, my COVID ward became a non-COVID ward as cases drop.  I am glad I made it through to that point.  I look forward to returning in a couple of weeks, I am sure better and hopefully in brighter times.

Kirsty Colquhoun: Consultant Geriatrician in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Subdean Glasgow University Medical School for Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons – Physician Representative of the Inclusion Advisory Board, Secretary for the British Geriatric Society Oncogeriatric Specialist Interest Group, Trustee CP Scotland.  Has Cerebral Palsy, Diplegia.

Tags: Cerebral Palsy, covid-19, Physiotherapy

Getting my Covid-19 vaccine

Cerebral Palsy Scotland volunteer Marion

In this blog, Marion talks about her experience of getting her first Covid-19 vaccination.

Hello everyone, I hope you are coping ok in this lock-down and keeping well. As much as I hated being stuck in from last March until July 31, as I was on the shielding list when most of my friends with cerebral palsy weren’t, now I have changed my mind as it meant I was in category 4 for the vaccine. I was called by my GP to attend a Saturday clinic for the vaccine for COVID-19.

I was glad to hear my appointment was at my doctor’s surgery rather than one of these massive centres which are always shown on TV of people getting their vaccines. Somehow that looks as if it would be a lot for someone who has a disability, but I’m sure they have thought it out.

I was jumping in to my doctors on Saturday as today would be a step forward to some kind of normality. Well, I hope that – you just never know what will happen next in this pandemic.

So, I went into the doctor’s room myself, leaving my mum in the waiting-room.  Firstly, she asked me questions e.g. have you had the virus in the last six months, and when did you have your flu jag? After that she gave me the vaccine – it was sorer than I was expecting but it was over in a flash. I think you are better to get the jag on your better side – it doesn’t seem to be too painful if you can move your arm about.

I got the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. They tell you what kind you are getting.

When I came out to the waiting room I felt very pleased that I have had the vaccine and I was like that all day. Unfortunately I took some side-effects the next day, being sick and having a sore arm. Now, although I will get my next vaccine, likely in 3 months, I will be very aware of how it might affect me afterwards.

I would recommend anyone to get the vaccine even with knowing you might get ill for a couple of days, and they just say it only lasts 48 hours. It is nothing like getting COVID-19.

I hope this blog will make you at ease getting yours.

Good luck and hopefully we can do more things in life soon once this vaccine drive gets to more of us.

Additional comment from Kirsty on getting vaccinated at QEUH,Glasgow:

“If you go to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to get vaccinated, they have wheelchairs and someone will help push you. They will wait to take you back to the front door to get your frame, if you have a frame. They have on PPE.”

You can also read our Covid vaccines and cerebral palsy webpage, which gives general information on the vaccine roll-out for people with CP, their families and paid carers.

Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, vaccination, vaccine

Help us a build a picture of the impact of Covid-19 on people with CP

Image of hand raised

Help us show the impact of Covid-19 on people with cerebral palsy and their families

We find ourselves nearly a year into living with restrictions; schools are closed, face-to-face services are reduced, and we are all staying close to home.

We know all of these things have had a huge impact on people with cerebral palsy, their families and carers, and we want to ask you to complete a survey to help us build a national picture of what life is like now for the cerebral palsy community.

Through the two surveys we carried out in May and September last year, we gained really valuable information that helped us make sure our services helped people in ways that they needed. We were also able to share the information to inform government and policy makers what life was like for you.

 

How this survey will help

We plan to use this survey to:

  1. Make sure the services and support we provide are still working for you.
  2. Help us develop new services to address new challenges that may have arisen over the last few months.
  3. Tell key agencies like the Scottish Government or NHS about the issues faced by the CP community.
  4. Tell our funders about the additional pressures people are facing so that we can secure the resources we need to help people with CP and their families.

 

How to take part

Just click on the link below to take you straight to the online survey.

Click here to go to the survey

The survey will remain open until midnight on 19 February, but the more information we receive and the sooner we receive it, the more able we will be to deliver effective support to everyone that needs it.

The team at Cerebral Palsy Scotland really appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey. Thank you for your support.

Tags: Cerebral Palsy, coronavirus, covid-19, survey

Life after lockdown – Survey Results

As restrictions have eased and some aspects of life have returned to something more like normal, how have things changed for people with CP?

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey about living with CP during the pandemic, and how it’s affecting your lives.

This is what the survey said:

  • 76% said that the Covid-19 situation had put more pressure on family life
  • Over 50% said that their family was more isolated as a result of the restrictions.
  • 71% reported that any care arrangements they had in place previously were not yet back to the levels they were pre-Covid.
  • 55% responded that their physical health had declined
  • 53% responded that their mental health had declined
  • 30% of the survey classed themselves as “shielding” although only 8% reported that they had received an official letter, reflecting how vulnerable people felt as a result of their condition.
  • 58% reported difficulty in accessing support from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy with 51% only able to access healthcare services online or via telephone.
  • 79% of families have sent their children back to school but of those who haven’t, 20% felt that their school or nursery would not be safe and 20% reported that the school or nursery could not currently accommodate their child.
  • 82% of respondents were happy with the level of support they had received from Cerebral Palsy Scotland.

What does this tell us?

Following on from the results of the Impact of COVID for people with CP May 2020, these updated results show that people with CP and their families have found restrictions particularly difficult, despite the need to combat COVID-19.

  • People feel more isolated and unsupported
  • Care and health services have not yet been fully restored
  • More than half report decline in physical and mental health and wellbeing
  • Many cannot access the health services they need

Read the survey results, other peoples experiences and the conclusion in full here. 

The previous survey results from May 2020 are available Impact of COVID for people with CP May 2020.

CP Connect – therapy and support during Covid

During the Covid outbreak, Cerebral Palsy Scotland’s CP Connect service is offering free therapy and support to children and adults.

CP Connect aims to help address the physical and emotional needs of people with CP at this time, and help build strength, mobility and confidence.

Find out more and register for CP Connect.

Tags: Cerebral Palsy, coronavirus, covid-19, lockdown, Therapy

Understanding the impact of COVID-19

  • Campaigning
  • The impact of covid
  • Support for adults
  • Stamp out the gap
  • Counting people with CP
  • National alliances
  • World CP day
  • Campaigning
  • The impact of covid
  • Support for adults
  • Stamp out the gap
  • Counting people with CP
  • National alliances
  • World CP day

Please help Cerebral Palsy Scotland build up a picture of the impact of the restrictions on the lives of people with cerebral palsy.

We recognise that the current crisis has put additional pressures on people. The survey we conducted in May was extremely helpful in painting a picture of what life was like for people with cerebral palsy during lockdown. The results of the survey were widely shared with Scottish Government and the NHS, University studies and umbrella bodies such as Neurological Alliance of Scotland and the Health and Social Care Alliance. The survey was even highlighted in an article in The Times this month. At Cerebral Palsy Scotland we used the findings to guide us on how we could support people during this time. Thank you for taking part.

Now that restrictions are easing, shielding is paused and the schools have returned, we would like to check in with you again to see how people are feeling now. This will help us build up a more robust evidence and track the impact of the restrictions for people with cerebral palsy over time.

By completing this short survey, you will help us to:

• check the services and support we are providing remain relevant and helpful,
• find out if we need to adapt our current services, or develop new ones,
• inform key agencies like the Scottish Government and the NHS about the issues faced by the CP community,
• report back to organisations that fund us about and additional pressures people are facing so we can secure the resources needed to help.

The survey will remain open until midnight on Tuesday 1 September. The more information we receive and the sooner we receive it, the more able we will be to deliver effective support to everyone that needs it.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey. We really appreciate your help.

Take the survey

 

Tags: Cerebral Palsy, cerebral palsy scotland, coronavirus, covid-19, Health, lockdown

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