Dorset ICU nurse says rumours of Downing Street party are a 'kick in the teeth'
A Dorset nurse has spoken of her anger at rumours of a Christmas Party in Downing Street, while she held the hands of dying patients
An ICU nurse who lives in Dorset says allegations of a Christmas party at Number 10 Downing Street during lockdown last year are a 'real kick in the teeth'.
The nurse, who wishes to remain anonymous, describes holding the hands of dying patients on behalf of family members.
She also found out she was pregnant early into the pandemic.
She told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
"I remember bawling my eyes out, crying into my mask, and then just to top it all off knowing I had just become pregnant as well.
"I was putting myself and my unborn child at that point at risk. I was dealing with morning sickness whilst being in full PPE, head to toe covered in plastic.
"It was a lot, and it was scary. Knowing that potentially there's a party in London like 'Yeah I'm literally busting a gut here.'
"It's not great. A clap on a Thursday night is not really going to cut it."
To top it all off, the Dorset nurse was put into the same situation as many women unable to have their partners present during labour.
"My biggest fear as a woman was having to go through labour on my own. That fear became reality. so that was really really difficult.
"I really don't think any woman should have to go through that alone, without having someone who knows them next to them.
"Not only was it the process of going through labour but then my husband wasn't able to be with me and his then new born child for the first week of his life.
"Unfortunately he wasn't well, but the visiting restrictions because of COVID meant that he couldn't see him, he couldn't even hold him. I had to hold him up to the window whilst bawling my eyes out."
She added:
"It feels a bit embarrassing in terms of the fact that the people who are at Number 10 are representing us as a country and in terms of them leading by example it feels really upsetting.
"It does feel a bit one rule for one, one rule for another. It feels like a real kick in the teeth really, when there's been a lot of sacrifice."