IBMS blog: working through the winter holidays
The microbiology laboratory at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) run a 24 hour service which even has to run over Christmas. During the Christmas period many of the clinics close however there are a number of wards that are still open and sadly many children are not well enough to spend Christmas at home.
The microbiology team work relentlessly over the Christmas and New Year period ensuring that important results can go out and that someone is always present to process urgent samples.
This year I am working on Christmas day. As the laboratory only processes specimens for the hospital, I will be working on my own. It's not the first time working on Christmas day and I am sure it won't be the last.
Despite not spending the day with my family, I do feel fulfilled and in the Christmas spirit when nurses and Healthcare Assistant come to the laboratory are cheery.
On Christmas day I go to the canteen to have Christmas lunch and always in amazement of the effort that the catering team go to make the canteen shine! I see families altogether having their Christmas meal and it make me grateful for my family but also proud to be able to help and contribute to keeping the service running 24/7 when patients need us most!
Highlights of working on Christmas day are seeing families together, cheery welcomes from healthcare staff, sweets from the nurses, knowing that the work I am doing is helping improve patient care, playing lots of Christmas music and snacking on all the treats left in the tea bar.
At the end of the shift I make my way over to my mum's home. I'm greeted by lots of smiling faces, hugs and get ready for a second big feast (after the awesome lunch that the hospital provides). Always at that point I reflect and realise how lucky I am to have a well and healthy family and am so grateful to all healthcare scientists and other professionals that work on days like Christmas day and help to keep the country running and our health service running.
-Francis Yongblah FIBMS, Senior Specialist Biomedical Scientist, Deputy Laboratory Manager, Microbiology