WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.580 align:middle line:90% 00:00:08.580 --> 00:00:10.530 align:middle line:84% I'm a hospital-based social worker. 00:00:10.530 --> 00:00:14.460 align:middle line:84% And I work in a very busy general hospital. 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:18.390 align:middle line:84% And usually, I conduct care after assessments, 00:00:18.390 --> 00:00:21.390 align:middle line:84% in-depth assessments about people's needs 00:00:21.390 --> 00:00:23.750 align:middle line:90% with them, their family members. 00:00:23.750 --> 00:00:26.850 align:middle line:84% And with the input of professionals as well. 00:00:26.850 --> 00:00:29.070 align:middle line:84% If that person's suffering confusion, 00:00:29.070 --> 00:00:32.340 align:middle line:84% or there might be any concerns regarding their capacity 00:00:32.340 --> 00:00:36.660 align:middle line:84% to make certain decisions, I'll do mental capacity assessments, 00:00:36.660 --> 00:00:38.340 align:middle line:90% [INAUDIBLE] interest decisions. 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:42.140 align:middle line:84% Sometimes I'm also involved in safeguarding inquiries. 00:00:42.140 --> 00:00:43.920 align:middle line:84% But usually, it's one-to-one work 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:49.310 align:middle line:84% with patients to ascertain how they feel about their hospital 00:00:49.310 --> 00:00:50.360 align:middle line:90% admission. 00:00:50.360 --> 00:00:53.360 align:middle line:84% How it's impacted on them looking after themselves. 00:00:53.360 --> 00:00:55.490 align:middle line:90% And how they feel, really. 00:00:55.490 --> 00:00:57.860 align:middle line:84% And what support they would like in the community, 00:00:57.860 --> 00:01:00.530 align:middle line:84% usually, whether that's a care home or returning 00:01:00.530 --> 00:01:02.660 align:middle line:90% to their home. 00:01:02.660 --> 00:01:04.890 align:middle line:84% To kind of make them feel better. 00:01:04.890 --> 00:01:07.100 align:middle line:84% I think a lot of people when they come into hospital 00:01:07.100 --> 00:01:09.270 align:middle line:90% are a point of crisis. 00:01:09.270 --> 00:01:10.880 align:middle line:84% And there's been a significant change 00:01:10.880 --> 00:01:13.430 align:middle line:84% in their needs, which is really difficult for them 00:01:13.430 --> 00:01:16.450 align:middle line:90% to get their head around. 00:01:16.450 --> 00:01:19.220 align:middle line:84% COVID has changed how I work at the hospital 00:01:19.220 --> 00:01:23.000 align:middle line:84% because I'm having a lot of less face-to-face work 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.800 align:middle line:90% with patients. 00:01:25.800 --> 00:01:29.330 align:middle line:84% And also, patients are getting a lot less choice and control 00:01:29.330 --> 00:01:32.542 align:middle line:84% over where they're going to go once they get better. 00:01:32.542 --> 00:01:34.250 align:middle line:84% Because we have to make sure that there's 00:01:34.250 --> 00:01:37.070 align:middle line:84% enough beds in a hospital to accommodate inflow 00:01:37.070 --> 00:01:39.720 align:middle line:90% of patients who've got COVID. 00:01:39.720 --> 00:01:42.660 align:middle line:90% So that's being quite difficult. 00:01:42.660 --> 00:01:44.330 align:middle line:84% I do really sympathise with patients 00:01:44.330 --> 00:01:47.960 align:middle line:84% because it must be really difficult to be, obviously, 00:01:47.960 --> 00:01:50.960 align:middle line:84% and distressed in a hospital, not really understanding 00:01:50.960 --> 00:01:53.990 align:middle line:84% what's happening, or what's wrong with you 00:01:53.990 --> 00:01:57.020 align:middle line:84% to then be told that you're medically fit for discharge. 00:01:57.020 --> 00:02:00.060 align:middle line:84% And being told this is the option 00:02:00.060 --> 00:02:05.160 align:middle line:84% that you've been given based on information about you. 00:02:05.160 --> 00:02:06.740 align:middle line:84% So you could be going to a care home 00:02:06.740 --> 00:02:09.169 align:middle line:84% that you've never seen in a different area 00:02:09.169 --> 00:02:11.360 align:middle line:90% that you didn't know. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:13.750 align:middle line:84% So that must be very distressing. 00:02:13.750 --> 00:02:17.340 align:middle line:84% But then we have to take into account individual's needs, 00:02:17.340 --> 00:02:20.750 align:middle line:84% but also the needs of the community as a whole. 00:02:20.750 --> 00:02:24.350 align:middle line:84% So it's a really difficult balance. 00:02:24.350 --> 00:02:27.290 align:middle line:84% These new guidelines have been released by the government. 00:02:27.290 --> 00:02:30.170 align:middle line:84% And they're changing regularly, even daily. 00:02:30.170 --> 00:02:32.940 align:middle line:84% So recently, I was off on some annual leave 00:02:32.940 --> 00:02:34.460 align:middle line:90% for a couple of days. 00:02:34.460 --> 00:02:36.260 align:middle line:84% And I came back, and the guidelines 00:02:36.260 --> 00:02:37.880 align:middle line:90% were completely different. 00:02:37.880 --> 00:02:40.040 align:middle line:84% So there is a really steady flow of changes. 00:02:40.040 --> 00:02:42.500 align:middle line:84% And you're really battling to keep up-to-date 00:02:42.500 --> 00:02:44.680 align:middle line:84% with what you should be telling patients, 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:46.210 align:middle line:90% and what you should be doing. 00:02:46.210 --> 00:02:49.040 align:middle line:84% And what's the best practise that you can do within 00:02:49.040 --> 00:02:51.280 align:middle line:90% the constraints.