I would like to invite you to join me in raising money for the dedicated and over-challenged Intensive Care Unit staff in our hospitals. Due to the situation in the world at the moment, I am unable to do a sponsored event, so I am relying on people’s appreciation and generosity.

My name is Sharon; I work for the NHS as a Screener. Although I am based at the Leicester General Hospital, my role is mainly carried out within community venues.

I have heard about the effects, like every one, of the impact that Covid-19 is having on the Intensive Care Units. Staff working in the Intensive Care Units are specially trained, and because of this they are unable to redeploy nursing staff from wards and other areas to help. Working in ICU is not everyone’s chosen career due to the intensity and emotional strains it presents.

The intense impact of Covid-19 patients on the Intensive Care Unit is enormous. Due to the environment and the demand on the staff, it is causing many to become ill themselves, leaving the unit to be short staffed most of the time. Standard procedure in the unit is one nurse to one patient, but due to reduced staff and high numbers of seriously sick patients, each nurse now has to manage three patients each here in Leicester hospitals. This situation has already taken down so many ICU staff due to them contracting Covid-19, exhaustion or because of the mentally disturbing impact.

To care for the unusually high number of sick patients for nearly a year takes its toll. Yes, they are used to treating the extremely sick. Yes, they are used to the demanding workload. Yes, they are used to patients dying but the quantity is sole destroying. NHS employed people go into this kind of work to improve lives of others; to lose so many patients every single shift is indescribable and mentally exhausting.

Having a faulty pack of balloons; trying to inflate one with a small hole in it. Inflating another balloon for it to pop and burst, then attempting to inflate another that is sealed together. It is at this point that most would give up and throw away the faulty pack of balloons through frustration. I can imagine this is how life in the ICU BUT they won’t give up!! They won’t give up on the challenge of trying to save so many critically ill patients that require all their endless expertise and dedication. This area of work is not for everyone, so we should cherish and appreciate the commitment and determination of these special carers.

To raise money will show our thankfulness for their dedication, hard work and the appreciation for the extreme challenges that they face every day, especially at this demanding and unsafe times.

All donations would be appreciated. The cost of a meal out, a trip to the cinema, a session at the pub or a beauty and hair appointment that none of us can enjoy at the moment due to the lockdown could be donated to this to show your support.

Please, please, please share this link with all your contacts through all your available social media apps to help us make a huge impact. Your contributions will make a massive difference, THANK YOU.

he Laura Hyde Foundation are the UK's leading mental health charity providing independent, best in class mental health support to our frontline healthcare and emergency services workers.Our frontline workers are exposed to unique and traumatic situations each and every day but who actually takes the time to support them when they look after us?