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In the second of a two-part series, Amanda Holland sha res more of the outstanding work done during the pandemic.
RACHEL RAYMOND
Health visitor and Flying Start health lead, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Rachel supported the development of local health visiting hubs and ways to deliver the Welsh Government's Healthy Child Wales Programme from 2016. She also supported staff through the Covid-19 pandemic as they adapted to different ways of working and assisted at vaccination centres.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Rachel and her senior colleagues were asked to consider who to redeploy, including managers. Although staff were willing to move, they felt uncertain about working in a clinical environment after having worked in non-clinical roles for many years. A mass training programme was developed to prepare health visitors for acute and primary care settings. Most staff were redeployed to ITUs and midwifery wards or district nursing, while others went to Covid-19 community testing teams and the temporary Dragon's Heart Hospital in Cardiff.
The redeployments, sickness and vacancy levels caused a 25% staff reduction in the health board's Flying Start and other HV services. As the pandemic escalated, home visiting ceased and was replaced with telephone contacts. As caseloads became unmanageable, Rachel and her senior colleagues helped develop a hub HV service model. This required Flying Start and other HV teams to work from the same location to deliver the service. HV teams quickly adapted to this new way of working, which involved making telephone and virtual contacts, while visiting homes only when clinically necessary. As a manager, Rachel travelled between hubs and delivered safeguarding, birth and transfer-in lists, notes and PPE.
Throughout the pandemic, Rachel responded to the changing needs of the HV service, the workforce and of families. She remained positive and encouraging to staff, assisted at vaccination centres and trained staff, became a flu champion, and still works extra shifts when needed.
Rachel is extremely proud of her colleagues and of her involvement in the transformation and continuation of a safe and effective HV service. ELERI STOKES
Health visitor and breastf eeding lead, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Eleri works two days a week as a lead for the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative, which involves supporting and...