Stop shaming NHS TikToks – the most important time to invest in morale is during a crisis

A good team has spirit. They are able to pull each other through and ultimately, serve you better.

Do not be fooled. Laughter and tears lie very close together.

It’s in the depth of a crisis when you most need people to be able to function, and to do that we all need a calmness in our hearts. You will know it yourself – if you feel very down or you start panicking, it becomes more difficult to perform. 

It is no different for healthcare staff who are working under a giant wedge of stress currently due to the coronavirus pandemic. They do not feel like heroes. They feel guilty, awkward and wrong. They are trying to get through this, just like you are.

Some, in a desperate bid to boost morale have taken to TikTok, putting together dance routines.

However, it appears, that not everyone feels this an appropriate way for NHS frontliners to behave and I know that the staff in these videos would be horrified at how they have been interpreted.

I’m definitely not a bad influence on the ward…..😃😃😃😃. Fantastic team on J19. Work hard, play hard @ClareLSmith @julianhartley1 @LeedsHospitals @NHLeeds @SpireLeeds @CAHTriTeam1 pic.twitter.com/sqDBP5As8b

— Yorkshire Dermatologist (@DrWalHussain) April 7, 2020

These are people trying to lift their spirits – nothing more. 

I can tell you from my own experiences as a frontline doctor that morale, in some places, has never been lower. 

Now, it is an odd place to be an NHS staff member – even in the best of times.  You can be dealing with the darkest of the dark but you must have an ability to not only boost your own mood but of those around you too, or you quite simply won’t survive the stress of what is being asked of you. 

A good leader will be very aware of the feelings of their team, and this isn’t a new thing. We have all heard the expressions, to ‘rally’ the troops, or references to ‘Blitz spirit’. It is simply a version of laughing in the face of adversity. 

Indeed, I would worry more about the departments where they are not managing to lift the mood of staff. The places where it is all sombre, with no light, are the places I would worry more that your care might be impacted. 

A good team has spirit. They are able to pull each other through and this means that ultimately, they serve you better. A good team is what you need when you are very sick. 

Five years ago, we were so worried that the low morale of staff would impact badly on their patients that we started running spirit-raising campaigns for NHS staff. 

We did this first by getting the NHS to Christmas Number One. Not because we were being flippant, choosing to head to a recording studio rather than save lives – it was a way to boost spirits and cunningly get the NHS to the top of government agenda by being Top of the Pops. And now we run #NHSMillion, a morale platform for NHS staff. Why? Because we know that happier team members leads to better care – and a testament to how much this is needed is how successful it is. 

There is so much bad stuff happening currently, that staff cheering themselves up by dancing probably shouldn’t even be on the radar. Now that it is though – I will say this: The most important time to invest in morale is during a crisis. 

Put simply, it helps people better cope with the weight of their responsibilities. It is worth recognising too, that many departments, outside of intensive care units, are feast or famine currently in terms of workload.

A lot of routine appointments have been cancelled, and the number of people coming to hospitals or even visiting their GP is down, too.

However, when something happens, it tends to be in a big way. The sick really are very sick and you can bet your bottom dollar that these same staff jumping around in TikTok videos will be ready to jump into action and deliver excellent care.

They know what it is to be professional in their jobs. The fact that they might smile or joke, or even dance between those times doesn’t make them bad.

These staff are able to deliver genuine and serious care to those that need them, when they need them – and there’s no doubt about that.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing claie.wilson@metro.co.uk

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