Concerns Plymouth people aren't seeking medical help due to fears of coronavirus
Archie Vasiliou from St Luke's has also provided an update on how they're coping during lockdown
A Healthcare Assistant in Plymouth is urging people to still seek professional help for other medical conditions.
Archie Vasiliou, who works for St Luke’s Urgent Care Service, says they are seeing a massive uptake of people with medical issues that they have not sought treatment for.
He is reminding people that the NHS is still there:
“The amount of pressure we’re going through now with the pandemic is significant, but it’s going to be nothing compared to what we’re going to see next year if people don’t go to see their doctor.
“We’re having a massive uptake of people in this second wave of people who have got conditions who are not being seen and not being treated, and that could actually be quite lethal and fatal towards them.
“See a doctor if you need to - we’re still here. All healthcare professionals are still working and it’s not something to be afraid of.”
Changes have been made to health services during lockdown to ensure the safety of staff and patients.
The NHS says it is important to get medical help if you think you need it and to keep any appointments or procedures you have booked.
On their website they add that they’ve made changes to make sure it is safe for patients to be seen during coronavirus.
Archie says they are more prepared now:
“We know what we’re dealing with a lot better.
“Throughout the year we have been living with the virus, working with it and we’ve come to understand it a lot better.
“It’s a very difficult time but we are all very good at pulling out the stops and looking after each other.”
St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth is an independent charity providing specialist care and support to people with progressive life-limiting illnesses in Plymouth and East Cornwall.
Last year, they cared for over 1,764 people both at Derriford Hospital and their specialist unit at Turnchapel.
Archie describes what it has been like for them working throughout the pandemic:
“As a service at the moment, we’re seeing a massive uptake in more acute patients, so we’re talking about a lot of complex situations which need complex handling.
“What we’re also seeing is a high turnover, which sounds really horrible, but these are the facts. We’re seeing a lot more death, which is distressing and tiring for any person.
“We’re very good at supporting our patients and their families and we’re also making sure that we’re looking after each other within our own team.
“We’ve got some people who have left their families during the first lockdown, we’ve got people who’ve got elderly parents that they can’t see and we still come in with a smile and get the job done.”