Calling All The Heroes

Posted: January 14th, 2021

Jordan Hazrati 2011 – Cabin Crew

Being a key worker isn’t really what anyone imagines when you identify your profession as ‘cabin crew’. With a staggering number of holidays cancelled over the past 10 months due to varying restrictions and lockdowns around the world, what kind of role through the pandemic can a cabin crew member really provide?

Very few passenger flights are currently operating due to the lockdown in the UK, but for airlines there has been opportunity and also duty to provide a new form of service to the UK government. From March 23rd last year, airlines across the UK have had to schedule and provide repatriation flights for customers and UK citizens that are overseas at the time that lockdowns or mandatory quarantines have been introduced. These flights can often be incredibly long duties if the country won’t allow crew rest in destination due to border restrictions (for example flying to Johannesburg and then straight back makes it an approximate duty of 24 hours, whereas we would normally have 36 hours rest at our destination in South Africa before operating back) but they are necessary in order to ensure the safety of the general public. We have also been operating flights transporting PPE, medical equipment such as ventilators, and vaccines, which all support the NHS in our fight to overcome Coronavirus.

It may seem odd that aircraft with no passengers on would require cabin crew onboard but under legislation from our regulators, a minimum amount of cabin crew are mandatory in order to conduct duties such as fire watch, ensure the wellbeing of the pilots onboard, and to conduct crucial safety and security checks pre, during and post flight.

Moreover cabin crew have been called upon by the NHS to provide support during this time, as our aviation medicine training is thorough and more in-depth than your standard first aid course. CPR, airway management, childbirth, and more…. You name it we’ve probably had to handle this during a flight at some point! During the first lockdown, I volunteered for three months at a hospital to provide support to the NHS, and now I am assisting in the recovery room and with administration at a vaccination centre in the South of England near my home. It is our caring nature and attitude that has allowed us to be the ideal candidates for these roles, as well as understanding the common side effects of any vaccination, and how these need to be treated.

Alex Hansen 2011– Staffordshire Shropshire & Cheshire Blood Bikes (SSCBB) Volunteer

Since the first lockdown the need to transport blood samples, Covid tests, bone marrow and many other vital medical supplies has been ever increasing. SSCBB and its team of volunteers including Alex, one of our Academy Directors and a former pupil, have been working round the clock, across the 3 counties carrying out over 5,300 jobs to aid the NHS in 2020 alone.

The work done by SSCBB is all carried out by volunteers and using charitable donations from member of the public. For more information about SSCBB, visit: facebook.com/StaffordshireBloodBikes

Dominic Vyse 2011– Radiographer at Royal Stoke

I’m a former Clayton pupil who left in 2011 and am now a radiographer at Royal Stoke; X-Raying all patient types to help diagnose respiratory issues such as Covid-19 and simpler chest infections, traumatic injuries and common aches and pains.

The job lets me meet lots of different people in their time of need and contribute to their treatment.

Georgina Corbett 2014

I’m a Midwife working at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. I work in the community as well as on Delivery Suite, supporting women and their partners as they welcome a new life into their family”

Emily Barlow

I am an ex-Clayton student (finishing in 2005), I am a University lecturer in Dundee, and primarily teach local undergraduate student nurses. My role includes supporting these student nurses into clinical practice (including the ‘paid practice’ response, during the first National lockdown).

This has supported the NHS to meet the increasing demands for care delivery, during these challenging times”.