WHO have stated that at 115,000 healthcare workers have died from Covid. This is around the world and there are now updated figures released. The director from WHO has stated that the estimate was given at the World Health Assembly and that there have been some shortfalls in the amount of deaths that have been reported. The 115,000 deaths are the same as a commercial plane crashing every single day, with no survivors, for 17 months. For 18 months now, healthcare workers have been standing in the space between life and death.

They have saved hundreds and thousands of lives and they have also done their bit to fight for others. Some have passed and many themselves have come down with the virus. The reporting on this is somewhat scant but at the end of the day, some estimate that it is much higher than estimates show. Those who work as a nurse agency employee or even those who work as a nursing recruitment agency employee are going to be continually affected by the virus. Of course, the shock and anger regarding this should not be diminished. 115,000 colleagues and friends have all paid a huge sacrifice. ICN have been frustrated about the lack of inaccurate data for quite some time when it comes to nursing deaths and that is awful to say the least. In October, Mr. Catton has stated that nurses across all countries have died and this is not acceptable. More should have been done to ensure that people had the support they needed at the time and at the end of the day, even though the situation is unpredictable, we have to learn from our mistakes. Who knows what is going to happen in the future, but right now it would seem that more needs to be done to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

The government are set to try and renege a pledge that has been made. The pledge is for £5m and it is going to be put towards training nurses and even midwives too. This is going to be the case for developing countries across the world. The announcement was brought to light by Nursing Times and the funds were promised all the way back in 2018. Some believe that it was the government’s way of trying to support the campaign for Nursing Now and the groundwork for 180 projects has been done. The problem is that they are now pulling the plug on the funding as UK aid is being cut. This is all being done in response to Covid-19. The £5m that has been allocated is being replaced by the FCDO. This is being done throughout the UK and it’s also part of the UKPHS programme too.

The UKPHS programme is being managed by the THET and they have the aim to try and help build way more resilient healthcare programs. They believe that by creating reciprocal partnerships between other institutions across the world. They are doing this with middle-income countries. If you work as part of a nurse agency or even a nursing recruitment agency then this is a huge blow.

Of course, in a letter, the FCDO have stated that the decision is in fact a direct result of the pandemic and that they could not have predicted that this would happen. They have caused a lot of foreign aid to be cut and they are also concerned about the national income too.

Earlier in the month, Wendy Morton confirmed that with the closure of the programme, it would seem that they are not going to be able to meet the commitment and that this is going to really stunt the development of doctors and nurses. Of course, only time will tell what the future holds.

A brand-new clinical nurse specialist has been appointed to try and support any asbestos-related cancer patients in their recovery. Lynne Hunter has chosen to join the cancer charity and they are going to be based in the Western General Hospital. She has stated that she has always had a strong interest in helping others who work in nursing and they have also described it as being a fantastic way to provide support to those who truly need it. The UK has the highest amount of deaths that relate to mesothelioma and the asbestos exposure every year affects the lining of the lungs of those who work in construction. In fact, 2,700 people are diagnosed every single year.

In the new role, Ms Hunter will try and focus on caring for those who have experienced this cancer and she is also going to play a huge role at every step of the treatment journey too. She is going to try and help people to have the smoothest journey and she cares deeply about the people who she is going to be caring for. She is going to be providing a lot of specialist groups and she is also going to be giving some quality advice to support groups as well. She is trying to make the biggest difference to the community and she is also going to be working with mesothelioma-specific treatments too. She is a qualified nurse as from 2012 and she has signed up for work through a nurse agency before as well. This support group is going to support those who may be under pressure with work from a nursing recruitment agency as well, as it is going to try and support those who may be falling through the cracks with their treatment.

Nurses all across the UK are going to have access to a brand-new platform. This is going to be a listening service and it is going to help provide a safe place for staff. It gives them the chance to offload with someone who is able to understand them as well as someone who can give them a listening ear. The charity is called a Nurse Lifeline and it is led by a group of nurses and midwives too. The lifeline is going to launch and it is going to be a 12-month pilot originally. It’s going to follow fellow nurses and it’s also going to help them if they are having a hard time. It’s important to remember that it is also going to help those who work in a nurse agency or even those who are part of a nursing recruitment agency.

Everyone is able to recognise the value in having some kind of space to offload with someone who is able to have such a positive impact on someone’s wellbeing. Of course, almost 50 volunteers have all teamed up to try and take phone calls and this is going to be done between 7pm and 11pm. The calls are going to take place between Monday and Friday as well. The service is open to everyone including support workers as well as healthcare workers. It’s even open to students and friends and family. This is believed to be the very first of its kind too. The idea of the charity essentially stemmed from the fact that the nursing industry is under so much pressure right now and everyone wants to do something about it. Some believe that this is the best way to ensure that this is the one thing they can do to make things easier.