UNDER pressure staff at the critical care unit in Poole Hospital have had 'unbelievable support' from the military.

Medics from the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force have been helping the hospital get through the peak of the latest wave though the last month.

And critical care matron Eoin Scott said their presence had been a massive boost.

He also said staff could now see a glimmer of light after some really dark days.

He told the Echo: "We have been so pleased to have military colleagues with us, a small team of medical combat technicians.

"It has been an absolutely fantastic collaboration. It has been really uplifting for all of us in critical care and these guys are learning a lot to take back into the military. it's been a great success.

They have been running on 32 beds in intensive care, from the 11 in normal times.

Been seeing a wide age range of patients in the second wave, including a batch of younger ones and some in their 20s and a large number in their 50s.

Mr Scott said staff wellbeing was more important than ever, in these exceptional times. It's not normal times in critical care and the pressures are immense.

"Yes, the staff are very tired and it can be extremely emotional at times. It's perfectly okay and normal to have a little cry at the end of a shift.

"But we have a huge amount here in terms of staff support and welfare to make sure they get the care they need."

Mr Scott said a number of patients would not normally survive intensive and the proportion is higher in Covid times.

"Because of the time some patients spend with us, the nurses get very close to them and their families. They get attached and that can be hard.

"You hear a lot in the national media about people dying alone or with no-one holding their hands, well that's not in our hospital. No-one in our area died alone."

Mr Scott pleaded with the public to keep to social restrictions.

"Please bear with us and with the rules. We have a long recovery ahead of us but we will get there."

We are starting to see the light on the long recovery from the worst of things.