The whole department is in agreement that the flow of patients has been relentless this week. Combining this with the summer heat has resulted in me passing out as soon as I get home. Luckily I haven’t fallen into the trap of lying down for a few minutes before getting ready for bed after a night shift. We’ve all done it. Lay down just to rest the legs, then wake up fully clothed next to a nearly dead phone with a slightly dirty feeling mouth due to skipping a brushing session. 
The worst thing I find when the department is heaving is patients and relatives interrupting you when you’re trying to do your job. I’ve seen mathematical models using fluid mechanics to model patient flow in departments. Fluid mechanics generally work well in population dynamics but the nuance that’s missed here is reduction in productivity as the department fills up. I remember when I was streaming ambulances. My streaming was literally put on hold as I was constantly being asked questions about waiting times from relatives and patients. Perhaps a viscosity parameter which is a ratio of staff to patients could capture this thus making more accurate predictions.

Thankfully this night shift was not as intense as one colleague told me only yesterday that tonight was her last shift before she moved to Newcastle. It seemed fitting that a large order of pizza was executed to see her off. I and the rest of the team will miss her bubbly and down to earth personality but I cannot help but feel happy for her. Her boyfriend has proposed to her and It sounds like she will have a better quality of life away from the extortionate rents of London. Goodbye Alex you will be missed.