British Airways employees could be filling in for nurses and healthcare assistants in a bid to bridge the gap between care supply and demand, created by COVID-19.

Some 30,000 Airway staff have been furloughed until the end of May due to the global pandemic facing us. Thousands have been temporarily laid off or are taking unpaid leave. EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic are setting up schemes for thousands of suspended crew to volunteer over the next two months with the NHS or work in supermarkets.¹

British Airways is deploying its employees to the front lines of the battle against coronavirus in the UK. The airline has set up a company-wide task force of employees who have a variety of skills to offer charities, non-profit organisations, and the NHS.²

What can British Airways staff bring to the table?

Diverse people:

• Airlines have a very diverse selection of employees in comparison to most other businesses.

First Aiders:

• Cabin crews are all trained in first aid and are used to dealing with customers in potentially high-stress situations, making them an excellent fit for volunteer positions in the NHS.

A Team of Helpers:

• The NHS has set up the Help force team, which organises volunteers looking to help the NHS during their time of need.
• Employees with first aid training will help St John Ambulance as they respond to medical emergencies and maybe helping with 999 national emergency call outs.
• The airline has partnered with the British Red Cross with staff providing help at local food banks, as well as hospitals.
• Many employees working in the logistics of British Airways’ operations have skills which could be useful in transport, procurement, and management of medical supplies and consumables.
• British Airways employees who typically work in customer-facing roles will be encouraged to work with charities like Age UK in their efforts to reach out to older, more isolated individuals who may be struggling during the lockdown.¹

Essential transferable skills

What skills will Airline Staff have to add value in the COVID-19 crisis?

Cabin crew already have many useful skills such as those outlined here:

• communication and people skills
• are trained first aiders
• are all security checked, so are prepared for the frontline
• familiar with high-stress and de-escalation strategies of potential situations
• they can help patients with technology
• make beds
• assist patients with non-clinical tasks
• to spend time with patients to alleviate loneliness
• a unique ability to reassure people

Can pilots offer help to the NHS?

Pilots are professional people used to responsibility and so have a lot to give. They frequently must face difficult situations and sometimes challenging behaviours from flyers. Pilots are invaluable in the NHS and other areas where level-headed decisive skills are essential.

Could something positive be salvaged from the disaster of COVID-19?

Perhaps some airline crew have medical training, and maybe now this is a rare unfortunate time but a great time of need for medically trained personnel to step up and support the NHS.

Utilising all our people’s skills in new ways

This conversation raises the issue, what core skills can be utilised in various forms so that nurses, doctors and allied health professionals can be freed up to concentrate on clinical practice.

Primary care, catering, cleaning, customer care, listening, keeping company, giving fluids to ensure hydration, calling relatives via technical means such as skype, google hangouts etc., along with many more tasks can be carried out by non-clinical untrained personal. Perhaps many healthcare staff would agree to spend time with, and emotionally supporting patients is the most significant non-clinical need patients have. Still, healthcare staff often simply don’t have the time.

Conclusion

Whatever skills and attributes the crew are bringing to the NHS, they are certainly welcomed. In a fight against an unsympathetic virus, the British Airlines and the NHS stand side by side defending our people.

Join in supporting your NHS, register with us and let us assist you with all the necessary administrative issues so you can help the NHS save lives.

References

1. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/02/british-airways-expected-to-lay-off-36000-staff-amid-coronavirus-crisis
2. https://simpleflying.com/british-airways-employees-volunteer/