Sometimes I shake my head in disbelief.

You know that I am passionate about Deaf awareness and issues and hopefully act as a champion in some small way.

I was going about my normal business when I saw my Deaf mate. I stopped in my tracks.Why? Because was on the door of an outpatient clinic taking people’s temperatures.

When I asked, in British Sign Language, why he was here he shrugged.

I asked how he was coping and he said he was doing his best. But, consider, for a minute what it would be like to be put in that position. Firstly, you are Deaf so you can’t hear any extra questions that the patient asks you. My friend can lip-read, but now that everyone is wearing masks his skill at this difficult task is redundant.

Now this ain’t rocket science but to put a Deaf member of staff on front of house is a recipe for disaster. For him, it is difficult; no one wants to explain the same stuff again and again. And for patients, well they might just consider him rude or ignorant if he does not answer them. But more than that, I was angry because until three weeks ago my friend was shielding.

And now here he is in face-to-face contact with patients.

I know lots of people who have been shielding including our own chief executive so I wonder how many of them are back in such a direct role with patients.

If you are on a ward then everyone will have been tested and you will know the Covid status of the people you are working with.

Not so in outpatients, where every person is potentially a risk to you. “Putting Patients First” is our key value; “Looking after staff” should be our second.

I truly believe that when we get it wrong we should admit it and make changes. That’s the only way things get fixed.

And in this case we have got it very wrong. I’ll keep you posted.