‘Testing team have done an amazing job’
A BITTERSWEET ceremony saw Princess Elizabeth Hospital staff bidding farewell to the Covid testing tent at the hospital.
Nursing staff had sampled more than 100,000 PCR tests at the site during the pandemic.
‘It’s been so busy and challenging, but just so rewarding, sometimes working until 1am, but it’s been amazing and the best two years that I’ve had in my 25 years working for the States,’ said Ali Hughes, of the admin team.
‘We’re all so gutted, we’re glad that we’re trying to live with Covid, but it’s going to be really hard for us all to separate.’
The testing teams were created in early 2020 and enlisted staff from all areas of HSC and the States.
The initial swabbing process took up to 45 minutes per person and this progressed to staff testing one car per minute and 1,000 people each day at the peak of the pandemic.
‘The team have done absolutely amazingly, especially considering they weren’t a team and had never worked together before, they gelled so much and they’ve worked so hard and they just make it look effortless,’ said Elaine Burgess, associate director of acute care.
‘It’s quite sad really because I think they’re a really good team and they built relationships that will last forever.’
For director of Public Health, Dr Nicola Brink, the deconstruction of the PEH testing tent was a pivotal moment for the island.
‘They have just done the most incredible job here, this group have been working seven days a week, sometimes in awful weather, and this signifies that we are moving on and we’re coming out of our spring wave.
‘The numbers are coming down nicely and so we’re very optimistic about that and I think it’s the right time to move forward.
‘Every islander has left such positive feedback of the service here, sampling everyone from children to older people, they’ve tried to make a bespoke service for everyone. I’m just so proud of them.’
