Living through a pandemic with a long-term health condition can be a scary experience, as many found out as a result of Covid-19.
Services were reduced and some suspended entirely. Most face-to-face consultations were cancelled, and people felt isolated and unable to cope. Our HIV clinic staff found unique ways to support patients during this difficult time.
As with many other long-term conditions, people living with HIV were advised to take extra precautions during the worst of the pandemic, meaning many in Grampian living with HIV were at risk of feeling isolated and unable to access the services they needed to stay healthy.
Each patient was treated as an individual and their needs were addressed in different ways.
“I spent a lot of time supporting folk who were either struggling being around their family constantly or the opposite – being isolated on their own,” explained our HIV specialist nurse.
“Every few weeks, on my way home, I popped in to check on some patients. Home visits have now became part of the role. They ensure people who find it difficult to access our service have both medication and some kind of social interaction and link with the team when they have stopped engaging or have raised significant safety concerns. We also had police doing safety checks for folk not engaging who usually would.
“My job role has changed considerably, and these changes have continued. There has been an increase in people requiring support with both Covid concerns and the psychological impact of this. Liaising with other support services, including housing, finance and health providers, helped ensure we were addressing people’s needs.
“Additional work has included offering Covid vaccination clinics for people with HIV and other health conditions, and working closely with our excellent peer support group, Our Positive Voice.”
‘I can only praise the service’
We spoke to people who are living with HIV in Grampian, and they reflected on the positive experience of being supported by the team.
One said: “Impressively, I was able to access the clinic services with the usual friendly welcome. Both my partner and I have our meds delivered by post – so that continued as usual.”
“I didn’t need to see a doctor or nurse during the first two or three lockdowns, so this was not an issue. The only concern was about getting medication, and that became so simple and easy. Instead of having to collect them, a nurse on their way home dropped them off, so I can only praise the service,” commented another.
Our experience and positive feedback from patients during the pandemic shows the importance of a flexible approach to the needs of patients at all times.
Penny Gillies is a public health practitioner for NHS Grampian
Conversation