Meet Liverpool’s NHS Heroes: Broadgreen Hospital Ward Sister, EmilyMcGuffie

We’ve clapped on our doorsteps, put rainbows in the window and been grateful for every one of our NHS this year.

They really have shown just how amazing they are in 2020. Staff have made extraordinary sacrifices and put themselves, their own lives and health, at risk to save others.

We can’t overestimate just how vital their efforts have been since the pandemic began, and especially those who’ve kept our hospitals operating in incredibly difficult times. 

As the year comes to an end, we look back on how NHS staff across our Liverpool City Region hospital have coped, their experience of working on the frontline, their plans for Christmas and hopes for 2021 …

Ward sister Emily McGuffie has worked in the NHS for 16 years. Currently on Ward 8 at Broadgreen Hospital, Emily talks about how challenging 2020 has been for her and her colleagues.

“My job is to manage a ward of 24 stroke patients, who are receiving medical care and input from the therapy teams, who we work very closely with.

“I also manage and support staff on the ward, whether that be completing rosters, managing staffing levels effectively, supporting with educational needs, and providing emotional support – which has been very important these past few months.”

For Emily, working on the frontline this year during COVID-19 has been very challenging, but the support from everyone on the ward has kept them going.

“The ward team have been fantastic, but there has been a physical and emotional drain on all of my colleagues. We have faced many challenges on the ward, from having COVID-19 positive patients to care for and not having visitors on the ward, to ensuring staff have enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – which the Trust has supported really well – and staff having to isolate or shield themselves.”

Following the result of an antibody test, Emily found out that she had actually had COVID-19 herself, but thankfully must have had very mild symptoms: “I actually didn’t know I had it at the time – I think it must have been around March as I had felt slightly under the weather, so thankfully was not bad with it at all.”

This festive season, Emily is working on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, but has Christmas Day off.

“I will be spending Christmas Day with my husband and son. I have worked most Christmas periods since being in the Trust, and it’s usually a lovely time to work on the wards, spreading some festive cheer to the patients. But this year I am looking forward to spending the day with my family.

“I’d advise anyone who is seeing their loved ones this Christmas to be cautious and follow the guidance given to us – we need to get this virus under control. It will be lovely for people to see family for Christmas Day and have some normality, but we also need think about the coming year and how we can help avoid further spread of transmission.

“For 2021, I hope that we can return to normality, and we can visit our relatives and loved ones without the worry of passing on infection. If we are sensible this Christmas and New Year, I am hoping next year will not be reduced to a single day of celebration!

“I am also looking forward to when we can have visitors back at the bedsides of our patients. The comfort that will bring our patients and their families will be fantastic.”