Peterborough intensive care doctor pleads for people to stick to rules as she helps 15 patients with respiratory failure in one shift

Dr Coralie Carle is one of a number of front line health heroes in Peterborough who are seeing the full, devastating impact coronavirus is having on the city.

Along with other members of her team, she has saved the lives of many who have been hit by the virus - but nearly a year on from when the pandemic started, she is still facing heartbreaking challenges every day.

Sadly, more than 330 coronavirus related deaths have been reported at Peterborough City Hospital since the beginning of the pandemic.

Dr Carle said it had been the 'most challenging 10 months' of her career. She said; "Never before have I had to look after so many critically ill patients who all have the same life-threatening disease.

"On my last clinical shift, our team looked after fifteen patients on one unit all with respiratory failure due to Covid19. The majority of these patients were being helped to breathe by a ventilator.

"This is not just a disease that effects the elderly: we have seen patients in their thirties and forties who have no other medical problems.

"As we did during the first wave, we have turned other ward areas into Intensive Care extension areas to cope with the increased number of patients requiring high level care.

"Our Critical Care Team is being supported by re-deployed doctors, nurses and allied health professionals from other areas of the hospital.

"This helps us to expand our intensive care bed numbers in order to try and meet the ever-increasing demand."

As a result of the intense pressure still being felt by the front line teams, Dr Carle urged residents to stick to the rules, while the vaccine is rolled out.

Dr Carle and some colleagues have now received the first dose to offer protection.

She said: "Please help me and the rest of the team to get through this extremely difficult period by following the government’s lockdown restrictions and ‘hands, face, space’ advice.

"Thankfully there is now an end in sight, with the roll out of the CV19 vaccination programme. As more and more people are vaccinated, we will start to gain some control over the spread of this deadly virus.

"Along with some of my colleagues, I have been lucky enough to recently receive the first dose of the vaccine.

"So please keep yourself and your loved ones safe, help reduce the spread of this life-threatening devastating disease and help reduce the burden on your local hospital."

Like so many residents, Dr Carle has also felt the impact of the virus at home, as well as work.

She said: "The last ten months have resulted in lots of difficult decisions in order to keep my two young children and elderly parents safe.

"My parents haven’t seen their grandchildren in months and we cancelled our usual family Christmas celebrations in order to protect them. I have also had the delight of home schooling when not at work."

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