A crackdown on social media videos made by front line hospital staff is continuing to hit nurses’ morale, according to a source in the A&E department.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service was contacted by a member of staff following a story in which a chief at Milton Keynes University Hospital claimed that they are rested and recharged and ready to deal with a possible second wave.
“It’s angered so many members of staff in A&E,” said the nurse who wished to remain anonymous.
“During the height of the pandemic there was so much low morale, anxiety and depression that a few people attempted to improve morale by creating TikTok videos,” she said.
But she said a complaint was received and members of the leadership team “pulled staff off a shift” to attend a meeting in the summer.
She claimed staff were called an “embarrassment to the hospital and a disgrace to nursing.” The hospital says it does not recognise the language used.
Kate Jarman, the director of corporate affairs at the hospital, confirmed that disciplinary action was started with one member of staff, who “left the organisation before this disciplinary action was concluded.”
She said following a complaint about a “small number of videos” they were found to be “inappropriate and in breach of the hospital’s codes of professional conduct and use of social media.”
The hospital wrote to all staff in A&E to “remind them of the need to use social media in line with professional codes and hospital policy.”
But the nurse said staff were “shell shocked” by an accusation of being unprofessional when many of them “left their homes and have not seen their families for months.”
She said staff felt under “emotional blackmail” to take bank shifts during their summer holidays, which has left them tired.
“We are not ready for the second wave, but we will do what we have to do,” she said.
And she added that hospital bosses have cut back £3 per hour on bank shift payments.
The hospital confirmed this but said it was a case of returning to normal following shortages.
The nurse also rubbished claims that bosses are doing enough to support staff.
“They put a colouring book in the break out room,” she said. “I am not four years old, I don’t use colouring books.
“There is no independent counselling and staff had to find their own psychological support.”
But Kate Jarman said the hospital values its staff and has “support and care packages to help everyone juggle their work and home commitments as effectively as possible.”
She added if any staff have concerns they should use “any of the many routes to raise concerns.”
She added that the emergency team work “tremendously hard” and “we are really proud of them and care they provide to patients.”
But the nurse claimed: “all they says is ‘we’ll come back to you’, but they never do.”
