NHS view of Covid

[AVB]

I had lunch today with three people with fairly senior positions within the NHS. One is 2IC for one of the London hospital trusts and two are senior consultants. This is what they told me although you won't hear anything like this from official channels. 

1) They are loving the money being thrown at the NHS. That's not money at them directly but they don't have to worry about budgets any more. 

2) Many in the NHS are loving being 'heroes'.  

3) Hospitals are not at breaking point. The vast majority are not as busy as is normal for this time of year and nowhere near what it was like in April. 

4) If you had covid but wasn't hospitalised then, whilst you may have felt rough, it wasn't serious and would be classed as the same as the flu.

5) They will have the vaccine. 

6) They will be having family around/going to family for Christmas regardless of the government directive.  

 

    

[billytheghillie]

find that hard to believe.

[clangerman]

9 minutes ago, AVB said:

 

3) Hospitals are not at breaking point. The vast majority are not as busy as is normal for this time of year and nowhere near what it was like in April. 

 

    

if that’s the case explain why cheltenham gloucester and south mead hospital have ALL been on the local news claiming they are at breaking. point 

[AVB]

5 minutes ago, billytheghillie said:

find that hard to believe.

I was there. With all due respect you wasn’t. 

4 minutes ago, clangerman said:

if that’s the case explain why cheltenham gloucester and south mead hospital have ALL been on the local news claiming they are at breaking. point 

Perhaps they are over dramatising ‘breaking point’.
 

Perhaps they are at breaking point. My friends said “the vast majority of hospitals” not “all hospitals”. 

[billytheghillie]

still hard to believe

[ShootingEgg]

1 minute ago, billytheghillie said:

still hard to believe

Why because the media in this country dont over do anything or blow stuff out of proportion ever? As AVB says, he was present in this conversation.. Some hospitals will be busy, its a busy time of year.. Breaking point does seem very dramatic though, I went for a twelve week scan with the other half last week. Hospital was very quiet. Didn't seem to have any rushing around or to be at breaking point. But I could be very wrong... Who knows. 

[billytheghillie]

still dont buy it

[AVB]

Just now, billytheghillie said:

still dont buy it

It’s absolutely your right to believe what you want. I hope you are not calling me a liar though. 

[ShootingEgg]

Just now, billytheghillie said:

still dont buy it

So you happily buy the media and one side of it but not the other? There are two sides to the science and how to deal with this, so nhs staff will have two sides to how they see it. 

Perfectly possible that some areas are not near breaking point. Doubt Truro hospital for example in the dizzy heights of teir1 is at breaking point. 

[billytheghillie]

Just now, AVB said:

It’s absolutely your right to believe what you want. I hope you are not calling me a liar though. 

ehmm i think you just called yourself one, as i did not say that.

[Raja Clavata]

Just to support this:

I get second hand information direct from an eminent Prof of Immunology in the Midlands who is aghast at some of the "science" reported in the press and previously conveyed at the daily briefings.

My sons GF just started an Apprenticeship at a local Private Health Practice and the Doctors there are pretty much saying the same thing as what the OP conveys above. They are particularly amazed at the way certain portions of the public are living in absolute fear and buying everything the government are telling them.

[Bangbangman]

Speaking as an NHS consultant, the only part of the original post that rings true for me and my colleagues is:

5) They will have the vaccine

 

I've had first dose (last tues), next in about 3 weeks.

We have stopped all operating in one hospital to free up staff for Nightingale units (which we didn't use in the first wave) and to fill shortages in the main acute hospital. 

I suppose it's true that we aren't having to worry about budgets in the usual way, because nothing "usual" is happening.

 

My family had planned to visit relatives at Christmas but we've cancelled in light of the rapidly rising cases in our area. 

 

As for some NHS workers enjoying a "hero status", that might be true of some, though I don't know anyone who would be so shallow as to see themselves as heroic. It's a job. It's often been **** even before COVID. It's just more **** now, especially for those who have been redeployed outside their usual role and often away from usual colleagues and work friends. Morale isn't helped by cancellation of Christmas leave and the social media backlash of the petulant, frustrated keyboard-warriors pedalling their misinformation, paranoia and rumour.

 

[Yellow Bear]

9 minutes ago, Bangbangman said:

Morale isn't helped by cancellation of Christmas leave and the social media backlash of the petulant, frustrated keyboard-warriors pedalling their misinformation, paranoia and rumour.

👍 this

[clangerman]

8 minutes ago, Bangbangman said:

Speaking as an NHS consultant, the only part of the original post that rings true for me and my colleagues is:

5) They will have the vaccine

 

I've had first dose (last tues), next in about 3 weeks.

We have stopped all operating in one hospital to free up staff for Nightingale units (which we didn't use in the first wave) and to fill shortages in the main acute hospital. 

I suppose it's true that we aren't having to worry about budgets in the usual way, because nothing "usual" is happening.

 

My family had planned to visit relatives at Christmas but we've cancelled in light of the rapidly rising cases in our area. 

 

As for some NHS workers enjoying a "hero status", that might be true of some, though I don't know anyone who would be so shallow as to see themselves as heroic. It's a job. It's often been **** even before COVID. It's just more **** now, especially for those who have been redeployed outside their usual role and often away from usual colleagues and work friends. Morale isn't helped by cancellation of Christmas leave and the social media backlash of the petulant, frustrated keyboard-warriors pedalling their misinformation, paranoia and rumour.

 

so basically this is just a couple of clowns bragging when so many nhs staff have given their lives shame on the pair of them and a big thanks to you for your work 

[AVB]

5 minutes ago, clangerman said:

so basically this is just a couple of clowns bragging when so many nhs staff have given their lives shame on the pair of them and a big thanks to you for your work 

I’m not complaining. They paid for lunch. Pigeon, pheasant and a couple of bottles of merlot. 

[clangerman]

8 minutes ago, AVB said:

I’m not complaining. They paid for lunch. Pigeon, pheasant and a couple of bottles of merlot. 

they would with TAX PAYERS picking up the bill glad you had such a nice lunch at OUR expense 

[AVB]

1 minute ago, clangerman said:

they would with TAX PAYERS picking up the bill glad you had such a nice lunch at OUR expense 

What makes you think it was on exes? It was a birthday present. 

[eggy74]

i do maintenance at sussex royal hospital in brighton, much quieter than normal

i am an outpatient at stoke manderville hospital in bucks, much quieter than normal

my sister in law is a radiographer for cardiff vale, currently on reduced hours

my brother and his wife both work at singleton hospital swansea, both say its very quiet

biggest issue reported by family is the lack of staff as they are all pulling sickies

[clangerman]

1 minute ago, AVB said:

What makes you think it was on exes? It was a birthday present. 

if your low enough to brag at the amount of tax payers money your getting you certainly won’t mind stiffing them for the bill by the way where do these lunch buddies work 

[figgy]

Jeez, I read some carp on here in the past but this takes the biscuit.

The op came on posted what he was told. You lot are trying to rip him a new one.

His buddies picked up the tab for a birthday lunch, at no point did he say it was  going on NHS expenses. 

I was in hospital five weeks ago for a op, the ward I was on had two of us in it. Hospital was like a ghost ship, next no one around, speaking to staff loads are pulling sickies. Human nature some will milk it others won't.  Have to say the service I received was top drawer.

 

We have had posts from people who know staff are staff or been in themselves. The majority are saying hospitals are quiet. Some parts like A&E will still be busy. Especially team tractor local unit. 

Some hospitals will be busy in certain departments but at breaking point, I'd like to see the evidence, not the news headlines. Hospitals just cancel your appointment and treatment, simple.

[Rossco89]

Thank you for sharing this, this would never be reported in the media.

We need to remember this is an opinion (not even the op’s) and as the thread shows others in the nhs have different opinions.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. The situation in N. Ireland is that two major hospitals were full yesterday, Antrim & Coleraine, 15 ambulances were parked in the car park at Antrim - no room to admit the patients some were triaged in the car park some were treated. One man spent 10 hours in the ambulance before getting into the hospital. The strain on these hospitals is not entirely down to covid. It’s covid on top of everything else that goes on. What most dangerous is that 15 ambulances were not available for emergency calls because of this.

I will also add having recently had covid, it is like a flu, however the energy drain is unbelievable. 4 weeks on and I am still tired out by the afternoon. 10 of us were infected from the same source, 3 ended in hospital, all under 40 years old. I will not risk spreading this to elderly relatives for the sake of a turkey dinner.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Rossco89

[JDog]

The three NHS people ‘with fairly senior positions’ showed a lack of circumspection with their disclosures whether they were true or not.

[AVB]

39 minutes ago, JDog said:

The three NHS people ‘with fairly senior positions’ showed a lack of circumspection with their disclosures whether they were true or not.

Maybe. The discussion came about when we’re talking about the media and why they have they have responded to this in the way they have. lockdown/don’t lockdown etc. I don’t think anybody knows the answer to this. 

[Dave-G]

I think doctors like to be political. Several years ago now I had to visit outpatients regarding Dupuytren's contracture and ulnar nerve correction so nothing urgent or life threatening. 

The consultant seems to like having patients wasting time in a full waiting room for hours on end. When I pointed out that my (first) appointment was for 1pm but didn't get seen till after 4 pm she suggested I take the matter up with my MP. Same procedure for the second appointment just to see if things had changed, by this time I'd got the feeling all the patients were wasting hours on end too, so I asked the approximate 20 patients about their appointment time - all were the same 1PM. 

After I'd had the operation the follow up appointment was also 1PM!  on each occasion I'd asked for late appointments due to my late 'all night shift' bodyclock. Again a long wait ensued almost confirming to me they were deliberately making the department look busy with a full waiting room because all the appointments were made for either morning or afternoon at the same times.

The appointments could have been staggered - like they have been since CV19 started.

[Smokersmith]

It will be very difficult to get a sinlgle view that's correct for all .. as circumstances and experiences are so different across the country at any one time.

One of those classic situation where disagreements form as both sides are right ... just looking at the same situation from different views, with different experiences.

 

My experience of the media is that they can argue too strict one day, then not strict enough the next depending upon where they feel they can cause the most damage.