I had a lovely Christmas week, full of family and friends, and food, and thoughtful gifts. We had Mushroom Wellington and Maple Glazed Seitan Ham for Christmas dinner. It was super.
I was working for the days around the Bank Holidays. We rotate who does Christmas Day and, having done last year, I get a break for a few years. Hospitals are strange places at Christmas, a mixture of intense sadness and heart warming joy. Maybe that’s always the case, but Christmas somehow magnifies the contrasts. The people who remain inpatients at Christmas are those who are too sick to care or notice, and those for whom hospital is their best option. We’re always under pressure to discharge people and make beds, but to be honest, in the few days before Christmas I don’t discharge anyone who wants to be there. If home does not have something better to offer than a hospital bed then who am I to inflict loneliness, fear or sadness on anyone.
There is flu and RSV everywhere. People with chronic medical conditions are very sick. Even those who are usually well are strugling to shake off the persistent cough and fatigue. Vaccination rates remain much lower than pre-COVID. It’s hard to see how we’ll ever improve the situation and convince people of the benefits when there is so much misinformation and fear around vaccines.
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