Covid: Royal Glamorgan Hospital staff 'broken' by pandemic deaths

An intensive care doctor at one of the hospitals hit hardest by the second wave of coronavirus says staff feel "broken and "exhausted".

Dr Ceri Lynch, consultant anaesthetist at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, fears the situation is "worse" than during the first peak in the spring. She spoke of the emotional toil as doctors and nurses watched patients die, and of seeing people's families "decimated" by the virus.

"We are all devastated," she said.

To date, 495 people with coronavirus have died in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board area - the highest number in Wales.

The hospital serves patients living in some of the hardest hit counties, including Rhondda Cynon Taf which had 553.8 cases per 100,000 of the population in the last week - one of the worst affected communities in the UK.

Dr Lynch said staff at her unit had been left in tears and were "broken" after seeing some of the harrowing effects of the virus, and colleagues had been infected.

Dr Lynch said many relatives were unable to be at their loved-one's bedside when they died, as they were having to self-isolate after contracting the virus themselves. "It's tragic having to do this by telephone or Skype," she said, explaining family members were having to be at their loved-one's death bed via a video call.

"I was crying on Monday, I was at the death of a patient, we try and make the deaths as peaceful as we can, and I think we do a good job. We've had to take the place of the family, hold the patient's hand, talk to them, and communicate with the family, and there's been a lot of tears."

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Source: BBC News, 5 November 2020