NURSES CAN BE CONSERVATIVE TOO

By Pooja Poddar

Working as a Registered Nurse since 1999, I moved to UK in 2002. Whilst growing up in Mumbai in a multicultural community, I developed the core values of being inclusive, caring, effective, influencing, and innovative, meaning that adapting to western culture was not a barrier for me. My parents described me as a very caring & understanding young girl and thought I would become a teacher, but for some reason that didn't happen, so I decided to study for a Nursing diploma. Either way neither of these are traditionally conservative.  

I was diagnosed with Polycystic ovaries making it difficult for me to conceive, and I had several failed attempts of fertility treatment. It was a challenging experience working in nursing and caring for others whilst going through this, but my heart prevailed, and so did the treatment, so in 2011 my daughter was born through a free NHS trial of IVF. But the battle was not over as, in 2015, I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer which was fortunately detected in the early stages meaning I managed to survive. These experiences made me grateful that I had chosen to study nursing so I could give back what was given to me. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all the healthcare professionals who got me through these bad times, it is them that gave me the personal devotion to the NHS. 

20210629_151549.jpg

My work as a community activist was recognised by local the Conservative Party resulting in the unsolicited selection as their candidate for the Bristol City Council elections in Frome Vale. One of my key pledges was my commitment to work with the community to improve multi-cultural diversity in the area. Most People who know I am a Nurse, ask if I should I really be going into politics. My attitude is “you can't wait for someone else to do things for you”. One must be the change to bring about that change.  

Through my voluntary work with the Avon Indian Community Association and Bristol Durga Puja, I have brought a wide range of intergenerational and cultural intelligence that helps us better understand and engage in a multicultural society. I have recently been appointed as an Age UK trustee, strengthening my involvement in my community. It is humbling to help the most vulnerable members of our community. 

Last year I was on the front line in the fight against Covid, and it has made me stronger and more determined to help others. At one-point news reports suggested BAME people were more at risk of Covid, but equally many BAME people feared the vaccination. It was a catch 22. But by being a beacon of the community, I was able to convince many families to make the decision to get vaccinated.  

I have started my political journey because there's so much I have got from this country and the only way I can return the kindness is by helping others. I want to do this by bringing people together and promoting tolerance through a shared understanding of each other. I feel the core values of Conservative Party have always instilled this. The community and environment we live in make us the individuals we are, and it was this belief that motivated me to actively get involved.

Pooja Poddar

Pooja Poddar

THE UNTOLD SIDE EFFECTS OF COVID ON WOMEN

By Dr Sandesh Gulhane

We all know the devastation COVID has directly had on our health, from killing us to leaving us debilitated though long COVID, but for most people it is the indirect consequences that have caused the greatest suffering. Lockdown, social distancing, and the fear of COVID has deteriorated our mental health, stretched our finances to breaking point and turned 2020 in the year we all want to forget. But this impact has not been felt equally by all.  

It has been well documented that women earn less than their male counterparts across all sectors, but women also tend to hold less secure jobs, be much more likely to have work in the informal sector and also form the vast majority of single parent families. This is why women have a greater struggle against economic shocks than men. In the UK, mothers are 1.5 times more likely to have lost their job or quit than fathers during lockdown. Some of this has been caused by women home schooling their children. UCL found that women spent twice as long teaching their children whilst also bearing the brunt of childcare. This has led to women feeling their wellbeing was suffering with over 50% admitting they were struggling. This disparity was made abundantly evident through a Kings College London study that revealed men were more likely to be bored during lockdown whilst women feeling exhaustion. Of those women who continued to work throughout lockdown, many seemed to have very stressful jobs, with women making up 77% of healthcare workers, 83% social care, 92% childcare and 58% retail staff.   

unsplash-image-zRGqHTHP-HQ.jpg

Women are also suffering from an exponential rise in domestic abuse globally. In the UK alone, 47 women are suspected to have been murdered during the first lockdown because of domestic abuse in figures released by the charity Counting Dead Women. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline saw a massive increase in calls it received during both lockdowns. The struggle for women is that they are trapped with their abuser and cannot reach out for help. The trend has been for technology to be used to control and intimidate, with the use of webcams, smart locks, and social media. 

A study in the Lancet found that women and those living with young children had the greatest risk of increased mental distress, whilst a government report showed women suffering worse anxiety and depression. This is borne out by what I am seeing in my surgery with increasing numbers of women presenting themselves to me in distress. This ranges from patients showing mild symptoms to actively suicidal thoughts, and as lockdown has progressed the numbers have been increasing. I am also concerned about the number of women who are feeling low and struggling but not coming forward and asking for help. The cardinal signs I want women to look for are: having a low mood more often than not over 2 weeks, a change in sleeping patterns, loss of energy or concentration, becoming easily irritable with others, an increased and consistent heartrate, and repeated anxiety. If you have any of these signs then please contact your GP and we can begin the process to help you. Educational institutions like Universities offer incredible support and employers can help by ensuring that they have educational programmes about mental health, target gender inequality across their company, give staff access to helplines and support at an early stage.  

The recent tragic case of Sarah Everard has triggered a much needed debate on women’s safety and how vulnerable they can be but we need to ensure that domestic issues that often go unseen are also discussed. More must be done to narrow and eliminate the gender disparity in our society as that is the only way we can ever hope to be a fair civilization.

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

CONFIDENCE IS OVERRATED

By Beverley Bramwell

Waiting for your confidence to show up before you can start something is often a waste of time. The irony is that until you feel confident, you can't do anything, and you can’t start anything until you have confidence.

What if you just started anyway? Start it scared! 

You take a small action, and it works. So you take another one and get a better result. Feeling confident, you continue to act and now you have momentum. Notice what happened. Your confidence showed up at the same time as you were taking action, and it increased the more you acted. You start seeing results and your confidence goes through the roof!

The real obstacle to your progress is not the absence of confidence, it's your imagined fears.

Fear of failure - what if it doesn't work?

Fear of success - what if it does work?

Fear of the unknown - I don't know what will happen

Fear of other's opinions - what will they, my family, friends, colleagues, think of what I'm doing?

We can all identify with one or more of these fears and how it stops us. When you overcome your fear, taking action is easy.

How to begin? 

Be clear about what you want. Having this clarity means that any action you take is working towards this goal.

Why are doing it, why is it important to you?

Decide if this is important to you, or are you going to give up as soon as you hit the first obstacle.  

Why wouldn't I do this? 

This is where you address those fears. Work through your list of fears. Are they important and are they sufficient to stop you acting?

When you realise that fears don't go away, new ones appear to replace the previous ones. You will feel the shift in your attitude.

So, you don't need confidence to start, that will grow as you take action.  What's the worst that can happen? Do it scared, it doesn't matter.

“Be clear about what you want.

Decide

Face your fears.

The rest is up to you”

Beverley Bramwell

Beverley Bramwell