The Prince of Wales has spoken of the need for “enforced career breaks” to prevent medical staff reaching burnout as he marked five years since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prince William spoke to staff and volunteers at the Royal Berkshire Hospital’s Oasis Health and Wellbeing Centre and Garden, which was set up with funding from NHS Charities Together in the aftermath of the pandemic.
“Everyone in the NHS is there to care for others, so the last person who gets looked after is the individual,” he told them. “And I’ve seen when I’ve worked with doctors and nurses, when I’ve worked with paramedics, they always put it down the line because they don’t want to put their workload on someone else.
“For me, looking into the nation’s mental health over the last few years, unless there’s almost enforced breaks in someone’s career, as part of your career development, we’re never going to get to that point where you can look after their mental health, because you always rely on the individual to put their hand up.”
The future King, who along with wife Kate became patron of NHS Charities together in December 2020, heard how staff who helped care for the UK’s first Covid patients and who continue to treat people with the virus have benefitted from the centre.
© Getty ImagesEmotional accounts
Among them was Lead Nurse Sergio Tammelleo, whose team has received support from its psychological service.
His unit cared for the first UK patient to die after testing positive for Covid-19, a woman in her 70s, exactly five years ago to the day of William’s visit.
Other UK patients were subsequently found to have died from the virus even earlier but it was not identified as their cause of death until months later.
Sergio appeared emotional as he told the Prince: “It’s really difficult to think about that. It’s been five years already, lots of things that happened.
“I remember doing some swabs to patients back in the end of February 2020, not knowing a lot about that.”
Sergio told how he had not been able to travel back to see his family in Italy for more than two years because he was worried about passing the virus on to elderly relatives.
He added: “We still have some COVID cases around the hospital, so we still talk about it and sometimes you just stop and think about what has happened in the past. You know, thinking about what we did, what we have been through, and difficult times, especially for people that live alone and they were not able to see their family.”
© Getty ImagesYoga class invite
In a lighter moment, the Prince was invited to join a yoga class taught by the Centre’s instructor Veenu Singh.
“I can’t bend,” he told her, laughing. “I will sit in a corner and talk while you’re contorting.”
Veenu told the heir to the throne how staff were using her classes to learn breathwork and how to regulate their nervous systems and relieve stress.
“We all know when there’s a yoga class that’s when people relax and then just talk,” said William.
Apologising to the group for bringing up “difficult memories” from Covid, he added: “I want to pay tribute today to two members of staff who died.”
© Getty ImagesIn memoriam
Out in the garden, the Prince paused beside a Cherry tree planted in memory of Nurse Julie Edward, who worked in the hospital’s complex orthopaedic and trauma unit and near to a Maple planted in tribute to Dr Peter Tun, a consultant in neurorehabilitation. Julie died in May 2020, a month after Peter.
“Having a space like this that is a lasting tribute to those two valued members of staff is very important to us,” said Steve McManus, CEO of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.
© Getty ImagesHealth and Wellbeing Garden
The Prince was then shown around the outside space by Dave Richards, Oasis Garden Project Lead, and Jo Warrior, Royal Berkshire Hospital Charity Director.
A lawn and seating area is used by workers to have lunch or spend time with colleagues away from the ward, while a quiet area near a pond is used for reflection.
© Getty ImagesHelping the community
A third area is houses a polytunnel for growing vegetables, which are donated to a local pantry for homeless people and others in need.
“It’s an active space that brings in the community and draws the hospital staff in with the community and [shows] the power of gardens for health and wellbeing,” said Dave, showing him the produce.
“Definitely,” agreed the Prince. “Especially with lettuces like that, it’s fantastic.”
© Getty ImagesImpact of the pandemic
The Prince also sat down with a group of nurses to discuss the impact of the pandemic on their work and wellbeing.
He told them: “Remember you’re doing a really good job, thank you.”
Speaking afterwards, Sergio said of the Prince: “You could clearly see that he took it on board, it’s something that he’s really passionate about, mental health and well being. It’s something that he’s really keen on learning more, and it’s something that he wants to explore more.
“The fact that he has come here to see our health and wellbeing centre, that means a lot to us. We definitely show others the right way of doing things and how to address the health and wellbeing of staff that have been affected since COVID started, but even before COVID was there.”
Recalling the worst moments of the pandemic, the nurse added: “There were days when we had 15 to 20 deaths in a day, and that still affects me. Someone would come to the ward and within four or five hours would have passed away. That is something that will never go away. It will stay now in my mind forever.”
© Getty ImagesHow funding has helped NHS workers
The £3 million transformation of the listed building that now houses the Oasis Health and Wellbeing Centre was funded by the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust, the Royal Berkshire charity and NHS Charities Together.
The latter launched its Urgent Covid-19 Appeal in March 2020, raising more than £15 million in the first five days and going on to raise more than £160 million to support patients, hospital staff and volunteers at the frontline of the crisis.
The funds have helped nearly two thirds of NHS workers to benefit from counselling, rest areas and community projects across the UK.
Peter Phippen, Chair of NHS Charities Together said: “It’s fantastic to see the impact donations have had for NHS staff, patients and communities. We’d like to thank the Prince of Wales for visiting the Oasis Centre today and for the incredible work both he and the Princess of Wales do to support NHS charities, the NHS and its workforce in their royal as our Royal Patrons.”
