Well, Christmas has rolled around pretty quickly! Had to check myself yesterday when someone said, “Oh I can’t do next week, but I can do Christmas week.”, Cue the reply “Err, next week IS Christmas week!” Then cue blind panic when I realised all I’d bought my hubby was a box of sweets and a pair of socks for his Christmas stocking (he’s such a child!).

The year has gone at an alarming speed. Maybe it’s just because I’m old – my Nan always said once I’d hit 21, it was downhill all the way. I never believed her, but it’s true! Yet look at what we’ve packed into this year!  We never thought we’d still be dealing with coronavirus some 20 months after it first showed its teeth – and I admit I thought at first it would be just like a bad dose of the flu… How wrong I was!

Watching Boris on Sunday night (only because he came on straight after the Strictly results show), yet again we get told what we’re doing at the same time as everyone else. And, yet again, despite lots of posts on social media, what happens on a Monday morning? The phone rings off the hook with patients asking for their Covid boosters the same day. Why? Because the Prime Minister said so.

Parts of the country have struggled to get hold of the vaccine this week – orders are being doubled and though we’re assured next week’s deliveries will be fine, that’s not helpful for those who are trying to get through very large numbers of patients sooner rather than later.  Barriers that were up in force in January (‘You can’t be a satellite site because you can’t meet the criteria.’) have now been magicked away by CCGs around the country trying to meet the new deadline.   And bizarrely, just this week (December 14th), the 15 minute observation period post-Pfizer vacc was suspended, so did we need it in the first place? I’m no clinician so, “No comment.”

There was a suggestion that we might be expected to work over the Christmas long weekend…to that, I stuck out my tongue and said, “Over my dead body.” Not a cat in hell’s chance I’m asking staff to do that.  We’re absolutely cream-crackered, and a four day break may be the difference between surviving or not.

On the flip side, I have been overwhelmed (again) by my local community pulling together and offering help and support for our clinics, and a local bakery are throwing in some very nice pastries to keep us going (I am buying lunch for the team but the addition of cinnamon buns is the cherry on the top!)

Practice Managers WILL pull out all the stops to deliver the vaccine programme – again.

Practice Managers around the country WILL sort out clinics, staff, vaccinators – again.

Practice Managers WILL deal with anything else that gets thrown at us – again.

So, when you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps, the stress of it all is getting to you, and you’re wondering just how many mince pies can you put in your mouth without choking (because that’s the only thing besides alcohol that’s going to get you through)… just remember: YOU ARE AWESOME! and I for one count my PM colleagues as my greatest allies.

Christmas is round the corner – enjoy what time off you can get.

Have a wonderful one whatever you’re doing, and here’s to a more peaceful New Year.