Hello everyone,
 
There wasn’t an email from me last week as I was laid low with a tummy bug on Friday but I really wanted to mark today as the 12 month anniversary of our first national lockdown and encourage you all to participate in the National Day of Reflection that has been coordinated by Marie Curie. Since lockdown began hundreds of thousands of people have died. Too many lives have been cut short and millions have been bereaved. Behind the statistics and whatever the cause, every death has been devastating for the people left behind.
 
Many of us within DCHS have been directly affected by the loss of loved ones and colleagues through Covid-19 and other causes of death this year and had the additional grief of not being able to have the normal close contact with dying relatives and friends, or the ability to celebrate their lives and grieve with family and friends as we would want to. Those of you working in front line services have also experienced the loss of more patients than at any other time and have described very movingly the emotional toll that this has taken.
 
Whilst we are making fantastic progress with reducing the burden of Covid-19 there are still tough times ahead and the day is about giving us all time to pause and think about the unprecedented loss we are facing, the challenges we have overcome individually and collectively, and support each other.
 
I’ve been incredibly touched and proud of the work that teams like the ICS service in the High Peak have already done to raise awareness of the day and wanted to invite you all to join me in a minutes silence at 12 noon today, shining a light at 8pm or taking a moment at some point to reflect on the last year in our own way.
 
The support that you have all offered to our communities, your patients and to each other has been nothing short of incredible over the 12 months. We have shared many emotions together and all been managing our own personal losses in parallel. Let’s come together virtually with each other, and with the nation to reflect on our collective loss, support those who’ve been bereaved, and hope for a brighter future.
 
With very best wishes
 
Tracy

Tracy Allen
Chief Executive
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust
Ash Green Learning Disability Centre
Ashgate Road
Chesterfield
S42 7JE

T: 01629 817892
M: 07525 174113