Breathe

" Just had a cry in the meds Room - the NHS is at Breaking Point and so are many of its staff. "

That 's what Emma Scott-Spivey, a student paramedic, after a January shift in a North Yorkshire hospital.

Due to coronavirus illness or isolation many of her colleagues are off work and Emma says her team are often "50% down on staffing numbers" at The Moment .

" We're having to skip meal breaks or work hours late to meet basic needs of patients, " She tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

Junior doctor Kishan Bodalia, 27, is having a similar experience in The Hospitals where he works in Birmingham.

He says being asked to work extra shifts is a daily occurrence.

" In our WhatsApp groups our bosses are asking if anyone can come in for just one or two hours saying it would make a huge difference, just to keep staff afloat, " he tells Newsbeat.

The rapid rise in the omicron variant across the UK since late 2021 has meant That many People have been unwell or have had to isolate recently.

This has had an impact.

Recent government figures for the whole of the UK showed 18,454 People with coronavirus were in hospital on 6 January, up from 13,170 a week earlier.

Of those in hospital with coronavirus, 868 are in mechanical ventilation beds - using ventilators to help them Breathe - Slightly down on 875 the previous week.

But compared to last January there are still fewer patients taking up hospital beds.

" On A Ward there might be five doctors, " says Kishan.

" On one ward last week three were off isolating or with symptoms or waiting for test results. So for 24 patients there are one or two doctors. "

Both Kishan and Emma, 23, have the same concerns.

" Whilst we're doing the absolute best That we can with the resources That we have, we're still not delivering care That we're proud of a lot of The Time , " says Emma.

Kishan adds: " I feel Like - who's going to be there for the patients? "

It's true, staff absence is twice what you would expect - That 's why in some areas the

The current pressure on the NHS was described last week as a " staffing crisis" by The Royal College of Nursing's director for England, Patricia Marquis.

" The Prime Minister and others can no longer be dismissive of questions about The Ability of NHS staff to deliver safe care, " She Said .

And while it might feel extreme to staff working in the NHS now, there have been times in recent memory when there was even more pressure on ward staffing - such as The Winter of 2017/2018, when 300 People A Day were dying from flu.

The NHS won't suddenly become overwhelmed - instead care is deteriorating bit by bit.

Heart Attack patients are waiting longer for an ambulance, more elderly patients are spending nights on a trolley in A& E and growing numbers of People are waiting for hip and knee replacements.

" I think That if it was my grandparents That were being cared for, I would be devastated to think That they weren't receiving the absolute best care That they could be, " says Emma.

There's No Doubt even without Omicron this is the toughest part of the year for the NHS.

Before Christmas, Kishan felt he was close to Breaking Point .

" I knew I needed Time Off because The Winter was going to be hard, " he says.

" I needed to take a break and come Back and be a better doctor. "

He took just a few days of annual leave.

When he's not in scrubs he's behind the Dj Decks and during the pandemic he did something called

Emma doesn't just look after People - She cares for animals too and fosters Street Dogs , specialising in those with disabilities.

" I've been doing it since my grandfather Passed Away with dementia.

" I had cared for him really closely and it gave me an outlet to redirect the love and care I'd given him, " She says.

In October 2021 Emma was the North Yorkshire Police Fire and Crime Commissioner candidate for Labour.

But when It Comes to their jobs, both put their patients at The Heart of everything they do.

" I signed up to give my patients The Best standard of care possible, and not just the bare minimum, " says Emma.

" But That 's what it feels Like I'm delivering at The Moment is just the bare minimum. "

Kishan adds: " We're under constant pressure, we have to turn up and get The Job done. "

" The Job is very difficult for all staff, it's so prolonged it's really taking its toll on our wellbeing.

" I don't know what The Solution is, I hope it calms down. "

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Source of news: bbc.com