They are used to dealing with emergencies but 999 carers need a hand too. Jaine Blackman meets a mum who aims to help our shift workers

As half term ends, many working parents will be breathing a sigh of relief after a week of juggling childcare.

But for some the struggle to make sure their youngsters are well looked after while holding down a demanding job are ongoing.

“Organising childcare around shift work has been a nightmare,” says anaesthetist Anna Masud, 32, of Stanton Harcourt, near Witney.

“All my colleague have the same problem.

"All shift workers do due to the unsociable hours component of our work.

“I have even spoken to cabin crew and bar staff who all have the same problem.”

Anna, who has two children, Zak, two, and Sophia, nine months, and whose husband Syed is a doctor, thinks it is keeping many women from returning to work, and most from returning to full-time work.

To address the problem Anna now aims to set up a specialised childcare service.

“I love my job, but I love my children more and so I would love to find a better solution for us and other families,” she says.

Her job means she leaves for work earlier than nurseries open and gets home after they close.

“I am an anaesthetist so I work shifts, currently at the Royal Berkshire in Reading,” says Anna.

“Normal days start at 7.30am so I leave for work at 6am.

“I usually finish at 5.30pm on normal days so I get home at about 7pm.”

But added to that, about once a week she works a long day which finishes at 8.30pm and then there’s one weekend a month plus a block of four nights.

“My preference for childcare is nursery as I know my children are safe and in an educational environment,” she says. “But nurseries are not open evenings, weekends or bank holidays.

“Whilst lots of childminders are prepared to do evenings, finding one who will do weekends and bank holidays is difficult and they usually have a long waiting list.” And then there’s the cost to consider.

“Childcare can get very expensive – probably 75 per cent of my salary goes on childcare.

“My husband works on the Thames Valley Air Ambulance and in the John Radcliffe Emergency Department and also works shifts and weekends so it is just as difficult for us to sort childcare out around him.

“Both of our jobs sometimes have emergencies so we might end up with an unplanned later finish and most nurseries charge about £50 for late pick-ups.”

She has found The Co-operative Childcare facility at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital offers the longest opening hours (7am to 6pm) but has had to “patch together” childcare for the past two years.

“My two were too young for au pairs who are not allowed to look after children under two,” says Anna.

And she interviewed one nanny who wanted £4,000 per month after tax.

“I juggle with difficulty as I have a very supportive husband and a black book of nannies and childminders for emergencies,” says Anna. “My children attend nursery three days a week and we have a great childminder who does drop offs, pick-ups and days they are not at nursery if I am working.”

She knows she is not alone in facing difficulties.

“I can barely think of a working family, particularly in the NHS where childcare has been a completely smooth process, without even considering the financial aspects.”

In Anna’s experience it is mums who face the biggest problems.

“Women still tend to be the ones who bear the brunt of childcare. Women generally have been the ones with lower salaries and therefore it is more logical for them to cut down hours.”

Now she is in negotiation with nurseries to try to set up one with flexible hours for evenings, weekends and holidays.

She’d like to see evening hours extended to 9pm or 10pm, to be used by parents who want to attend evening classes, as well as for shift workers.

If she can get Childcare 999 off the ground it will also feature a childminders’ agency for the same thing and a matching service that pairs up local families who can exchange free childcare.

“I think this would really help mums locally and nationally as there is a real gap in the childcare provision for this,” says Anna.

If you would like to contact Anna about her nursery plans, see n999nny.co.uk or email n999nny@gmail.com.