Health unions say staff are complaining of feeling exhausted by this second wave.

Department of Health says it is committed to giving the NHS in England the resources it needs.

Our health editor, Hugh Pym, on camera operator Harriet Bradshaw have bean to the university hospitals off Darby in Burden NHS Trust, where nearly 600 staff are currently off sick or self isolating because of coronavirus.

Everyone's kind of on edge at the moment, like wondering, Is it going to get to that level again?

The general state of exhaustion and burn out is still there.

There are some people that it's comes.

Ah, Sharpton, almost like they've been toe war and they got PTSD, the faces behind the masks.

They worked through the first wave, and now they're facing the second.

Kelli Ann is a nurse in the intensive care unit at Royal Darby Hospital.

She says they're feeling the strain.

It's scary for us.

It was a struggle the last time.

I think we're all still kind of running on adrenaline at this point, even like looking back at the last wave feels a bit like a dream or a nightmare were exhausted, and it will be a struggle.

The atmosphere here is calm staff or simply getting on with their jobs as professionally as ever.

But that can conceal their private concerns about just what this second wave will mean.

Caroline is the sister in charge of the intensive care unit.

This section for covert patients is nearly full.

How do you feel?

Personally, I'm ready and willing, but I'm very tired.

My staff.

I'm very concerned that they're also very tired and stressed out on.

We have a lot of sickness.

Do Thio either burn out or just that they're unwell themselves?

Uh huh.

I don't think it on.

Alright.

Dawn is one of their intensive care patients.

She's 61 has no underlying health conditions.

She wants people to see how serious cove it is.

First you think, Oh, you're gonna be OK.

But then, as things progress, he can't breathe quite frightening.

Frightening for family.

My husband is absolutely devastated.

It's just flawed.

May.

Yeah, so that can happen to anybody.

Another patient's condition has changed.

Suddenly, Greg, who is a consultant, is called over to help eso this patient is just a alternation.

Levels have dropped a lot this morning on the question is why?

Why has that happened?

Four members of staff of the Trust, a health care assistant, two doctors and a cleaner lost their lives to cove it in the first wave.

Memories of that are raw.

Were very rarely are in a position where we have to look after somebody who was a colleague or a friend or acquaintance.

When you do, you suddenly realize how mortal we all are, because suddenly it's a it's a personal thing.

Staff say they feel well supported by the trust hospital leaders of sympathetic tard.

Properly, hard, they say the workload is mawr intense than before as they're trying to keep all types of care going.

My anxiety is that it's gonna be harder than it was in Phase one.

We were fighting on multiple fronts, and I hate to be militaristic about it, but that's almost how it feels.

And we're relying on our stuff, bringing the energy again on their focus and concentration through the whole of winter.

How are you?

Thank you.

Thanks for asking.

Back in a co vid ward, Mick has some good news for his wife.

He's about to be discharged after nearly a week in hospital.

Yeah, I've had the best treatment.

Fantastic.

It looks after me.

Well, absolutely.

I'm looking forward to going home and seeing the wife again.

First time I've been a part in 54 years.

Stories like that are encouraging for staff, but they know there's a long road ahead.

We've done it before and we'll do it again.

We just have to all support each other on Bond on and get through it.

Yeah, they're tired and often stressed, but they know people are relying on them and many others to keep the NHS going this winter.