‘We’re overwhelmed with deaths’: NHS medic tells of her horror at shifting 40 infectious coronavirus bodies from full-up morgue to fridges in hospital car park… and her distress of spotting patients she KNEW
- Sally Goodright was working at West Middlesex University Hospital in London
- She says staff there are ‘so overwhelmed with deaths that they can’t cope’
- Joined with five other employees at the hospital to move bodies into fridges
- Tells how upset she was to see the names of patients she regularly treated
A NHS worker has told of her horror at loading 40 bodies of coronavirus victims into fridges in a hospital car park because the mortuary is full.
Sally Goodright said staff at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, West London, are ‘so overwhelmed with deaths that they can’t cope’.
She joined forces with five other employees at the hospital to move the bodies and said how upset she was to see the names of patients she regularly treated.
Sally Goodright said on Facebook yesterday that staff at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, West London, are ‘so overwhelmed with deaths that they can’t cope’
Ms Goodright, whose normal role within the NHS is as a podiatry assistant in nearby Richmond, also urged people to stay at home and criticised those she saw on her journey home who were setting up badminton nets and playing football.
She wrote on Favebook yesterday: ‘After the morning delivering urgent care to diabetic patients I was asked to join a team to help out the staff in the mortuary.
‘The staff are so overwhelmed with deaths that they can’t cope. Two large fridges have been placed in the car park because the mortuary is full.
‘So along with two podiatric surgeons, a podiatric professor, two audiologists and myself we were asked to ferry 40 bodies from the morgue to the fridges.
Ms Goodright is working at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, West London
‘The fridges are situated the other side of the hospital so we had to work in pairs to get the heavy, bulky trolleys across.’
Ms Goodright added that all of the dead were still infectious so they needed to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) for hours despite it being ‘hot and sweaty’.
She said: ‘It all got particularly upsetting when I saw names of patients I treat on a regular basis and names of peoples loved ones that I was unaware had died. We ran out of body bags but still the dead were arriving from the wards.
‘Everyone is doing such a fantastic job and really working as a team from surgeons, porters, cleaners and the brilliant crew that are making sure the fridges are in situ and in full working order.’
In a Facebook post, Ms Goodright also urged people to stay at home and criticised those she saw on her journey home who were setting up badminton nets and playing football
But she added that she was also left upset by seeing families setting up equipment for circuit training on Twickenham Green.
Ms Goodright also said that on her way home she saw families in Radnor Gardens setting up badminton nets and others playing football.
She said: ‘What part of ‘stay at home – save lives’ do these people not understand? This really isn’t essential exercise. Pop on a Joe Wicks workout and stay indoors.
‘Us in the NHS are tired and I get that staying in is grim but it’s so very important. Please, please stay at home. I want to go back to my old life.
‘I miss my patients who don’t need urgent care but have to stay indoors. I miss visiting my housebound patients that need routine care as we’re only delivering urgent care for the foreseeable. Do the right thing!’
