A team of Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) students have set up a group for NHS key workers and healthcare students to communicate and arrange childcare as rotas step up.
The students’ aim is to relieve some of the pressure on NHS staff during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Two of our students, Samantha Cooper and Olivia Barton, featured on national and local BBC News on Friday 27 March to discuss their involvement in the scheme.
Samantha, a Year 2 student, said: "We came up with the scheme in order to provide free/reduced childcare for NHS key workers living in the Brighton and Sussex area, and this then grew with more people getting involved. We cannot yet help clinically on the wards so the best way we can support those on the frontline is by facilitating childcare; this is particularly important for ICU/A&E staff, whose COVID-19 rotas mean increased working hours. We hope this scheme can help anyone who needs it but especially those who are single parents, where both parents are key workers or where support networks, eg older family members, can no longer help due to self-isolation/shielding."
Olivia, a Year 4 student, added: "I think a lot of students feel a bit helpless at the moment and a bit lost without the routine of studying. This initiative is a great way for us to be helpful and enable those who do have the skills to help patients to continue to go to work despite having reduced childcare options due to nurseries/schools having reduced hours and grandparents having to isolate."
There has been plenty of interest in the scheme so far.
Go to the dedicated Facebook page >