Rebecca's story

"I’m a nurse working in the NHS. As winter comes in, our wards are busier than ever. The pressure is immense. And after the closure of a vital wellbeing hub at the hospital where I work, my colleagues and I have felt overwhelmed.

The impact on our wellbeing is huge. And I worry that without your support, it’s only going to get worse.

I hope sharing my story with you helps convince you to donate to NHS Charities Together this Christmas to help us through this.

The NHS is an incredible institution, I will always believe in its value. From a young age, I dreamed of becoming a nurse. But right now, as staff, we are struggling.

Imagine the busiest day you’ve ever had and then multiply it by 100. In this job, if you don’t act quickly, people can die. Every moment is a matter of life or death.

My shift starts at 7am and from that moment on, it’s non-stop for 12 hours.

There’s too few of us and we’re feeling overwhelmed.

Seeing elderly patients forced to wait 12 hours in plastic chairs is brutal. Some wait 25 hours for a bed. When I leave and return the next day, they’re still there. They’re angry, and while I never take it personally, it’s draining. I agree with their frustration completely, but often the only thing I can offer is a slightly more comfortable chair.

We've gone from a busy winter, to a relentless summer, straight into another overwhelming winter. There’s been no time to recover.

Most days, I’d rate my wellbeing at around 4 out of 10. I’ve cried every day at work this week. I’m just about keeping my head above water. You start to feel like a robot, but you keep going because you care. Because patients need you.

But we need support too. We need you to rally round us.

When we lost our wellbeing hub, it was a massive blow. I know colleagues who described it as a lifeline.

I’ve seen how donations to NHS Charities Together help us. They could help fund a new wellbeing space here – and in other hospitals too. I know that would make a huge difference to so many of us working in the NHS.

Thank you for reading my story. And thank you for the support you’ve already given us so far.

I just hope you will come to our aid again and help us through this winter. Because I know you understand what it’s really like for us. And the truth is that most of the public won’t hear about it.

That’s why we need your help now."