April 8, 2020 5.08 pm This story is over 47 months old

‘Our angels’: Your messages to Lincoln ICU staff

The ICU team received a lot of high praise

Lincoln County Hospital. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Intensive Care Unit staff on the front line in Lincoln are true heroes of the coronavirus pandemic, and people in the city whose lives they have saved have come together to share their support and gratitude.

“I owe my life to them”, was the message from patients and families when intensive care consultant Dr Matthew Dolling reflected on the impact of the pandemic in the ICU in a column on The Lincolnite.

Lincoln County Hospital has an intensive care unit with 16 beds to manage level 2 (HDU) and level 3 (ICU) critically ill patients. The Lincoln unit is staffed by a dedicated team of consultant intensivists supported by registrars on rotation from Nottingham and Leicester.

‘They kept my husband alive’

Beth Jones said that her husband is only alive because of his stay in the ICU at Lincoln County Hospital.

She said: “Pneumonia is no joke and the staff worked around the clock, and I mean worked, they never stop. I have so much gratitude and admiration for them as during my husband’s stay not everyone was lucky enough to wake up, and at times I didn’t know if my husband would.

“The care my husband, me and my son had was incredible and I will never be able to find the words to fully thank the team for what they did for us as family.”

Others also praised the staff for keeping members of their family alive.

Tracy Borg said that when her 86-year-old dad had a bowel obstruction in August 2018 they had to operate, and the team saved his life. She said: “He pulled through and is still here today thanks to them.”

Steve Burnley has had two stints in ICU and last time was in a coma for two months. He has also had three major operations and said “the team in there were absolutely brilliant in keeping me alive and here I am today. Keep up the great work, what you do is amazing.”

Mary Ranshaw said: “Lincoln hospital are the best. My dad was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and all the treatment he had and chemo were the best. My dad is still alive today because of them.

“God bless them all.”

Sue Craig said she was in ICU after a major operation almost four years ago and “the staff were amazing and looked after me so well”, while Jane Kiverton said she owes her life to the team.

Beth Hall’s father-in-law is currently in the ICU now and she said “we know he is in the best hands”.

It wasn’t just patients and their families praising the work of the team as Dr Dolling’s proud colleague Tanveer Ahmed said he is a really great doctor and a real hero.

NHS staff are under continued pressure during the coronavirus crisis and the work they do is being recognised even more so with weekly claps, donations of equipment and more.

Click here to follow The Lincolnite’s extensive live blog coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.