Should NHS staff go ahead in queues?

[JustOneLastThing]

I have only done it once, and got some evil looks from the others queuing. It was my only day off and was knackered and needed some essentials so thought 'just this once'-might not do it again!
It sort of felt like all the clapping in the world and rainbows doesn't mean much in the real world, but I might be a bit more careful about waving my lanyard around in the future (and yes, i'm frontline ward NHS staff working on covid wards fwiw).
Any thoughts from others very welcome.

No, I wouldn't do it. Whilst I am happy, with the hour in the shop before everyone else- permanent night shift here, and if I don't go straight after work, some things were gone when I went after work to begin with. That's enough for me. I don't agree with the almost mythical and hero like status being bestowed on 'front line medical staff' as someone in the US said- the public is the frontline. Healthcare workers are out last line of defence. We are doing our job, a ' luxury' many no longer have, and have the opportunity to walk away if we want to- no one forces you to be 'front line medical staff'. So nope, to me que jumping isn't a necessity.

It's a tough one; I feel annoyed when people I know tell me they have gone to the front because they couldn't be bothered queuing on their days off or even if they are admin or similar wfh because that's just taking the piss. I don't want to queue either when I am tired and am currently working 6 - 7 days per week doing long hours and with a significant commute still myself, so I am tired a lot. People going to the front meaning that my wait is extended just make me feel even wearier!!

I also work in a job that is also being allowed to the front of the queue in some shops but will not be using it at all - I am on my way to work before shops open and sometimes I have only limited time after work to catch them still open and do understand in that circumstance when people might want to get straight in after a shift. I am an ex nurse of many years and do understand just how tiring long shifts can be so do have empathy, I am just jaded by those taking advantage when they do not need to be given an advantage over everyone else in the queue.

I don't clap because I think it's a load of self indulgent wank. But I would be happy for NHS workers to skip the queue for the supermarket every single time.

Yes skip the queue fine by me. It's literally the least society can do.

And please God I hope you get a decent pay rise this year and the next to be in line with other professions.

Did you work through a pandemic @youstupidboy ?

@overworked I could of wrote that myself, although I'm not a nurse (I'm nhs non-clinical) I work very closely with my nurse colleagues and everyone is saying the same as you, all departments in my trust are extremely quiet with little to do and friends I have in other local trusts are saying the same, despite this, I'm absolutely disgusted with the way some staff have gone (not who work within my team, but in the same building) in in regards to their entitlement and their grabby attitude in regards to ringing round everywhere for free things and food and fighting about it! We would be supporting these small local businesses, not ringing around countless places asking for free things. We are still earning money whilst so many aren't. I wish people could see what's been going on it would really change a lot of people's opinions. I also am thinking of leaving the NHS as I just don't feel like I want to be part of this anymore. I think it's really gone to people's heads, the same ones who are sitting in these empty departments not seeing any patients, are the ones going home posting one social media how difficult it is.

@madroid I worked through some very, very tough times (not always NHS, not always UK based, please don't assume that I don't understand being at high risk on a daily basis - I very much do) and respect and admire what people are doing now, absolutely. I do not mind clinical staff working hard going to the front of queues as my post says. I DO mind people wfh for a few days per week so at less risk than me going to work and with much more time than me going to the front of the queue - I don't say anything, it's up to them; the shops are providing that facility and they are taking advantage. I just don't feel that it is necessarily right. It should be taken when needed, not just because you can.

@madroid Society is doing enough just by staying home to stop us being overwhelmed. In fact society is losing far too much..how many people have lost or are going to lose their jobs. Children's education is sh it on.Economy will be on the bones of its arse to "protect the nhs". I joined the nhs to protect my patients not the other way around.
@radiantrose that's exactly how I feel I just don't want to be a part of it anymore. The hospital I work in has tik tok dance stars that made their stupid video in working hours because they had nothing better to do. It's sickening.
Covid patients families can't phone to get updated but there's time to choreograph dances.
I know people mean well but I really think the saw pictures of Italian nurses and thought we'd be the same. I'm most cases we are not. We are coping. People at home are not.

Do people see that teenagers are killing themselves because of lockdown? Job losses. Families not together for months . It's devastating for some but they are doing it for us...I don't need society to do anything else for me they have give n is their freedom.
Nhs staff who make it sound like a war zone should be ashamed of themselves there is no knife at your throat to make you stay.
Give the free dinners to people who need them not paid nhs staff and give your queue jumping to elderly and care workers who are actually shopping for their residents not themselves.
I never ever thought I'd be ashamed of my profession but here I am.

We actually getting busier at the moment . Some wards have been quiet and redeployed such as surgical and outpatient is all cancelled not just to make space fir covid and free up staff but ALSO to protect vulnerable patients from hospital covid infection.but the acute medical wards are busy.
Overworked what is your role?

I mean it's not the NHS fault that lockdown us in place / that is necessary to prevent transmission of infection / surely 30,000 deaths is enough to make that obvious 🤷🏼

I haven't actually had any free dinners , food , hand cream or gone to the front of any queue either. But depending on individual circumstances it's ok to do those things as long as the dinners go to those areas really struggling.
I haven't witnessed any greediness at all or entitledness - in fact we as doctors don't want to be labelled as heroes because we aren't heroes just people and we aren't sacrificing our lives - yes we have to have some courage but we still have free choice to leave - we could resign and say we are too stressed and go off sick if it was too much I suppose . We are just doing our job, albeit a difficult one and with retracted leave snd lots of new protocols.

To be fair the message always is stay home protect the NHS. It is the government who decided that but I can see where overworked is coming from. The plan is us not to all get covid at once because the NHS won't cope with it. I actually think it's quite refreshing to hear a different point of view from nurses. What does her role have to do with it she says she is on a covid ward so I'd imagine she's not changing light bulbs.
I also think she's right saying how bad you have to be before being admitted into hospital maybe if medical help was given earlier there wouldn't be 30,000 deaths. Just a thought

Completely agree- any patient needing hospital treatment needs to be in hospital. I think the govt advice if stay at home with covid was a bit overblown and what worries me is how they are then being monitored or self monitoring - 111 was apparently difficult to get through to. That's very worrying.

Well I was shocked she is so ashamed of her colleagues and it's so quiet so wondered what and where her role is. If it is covid ward maybe it is a palliative one, or the hospital has created excess capacity and her ward is one of the quiet ones. I mean even if that's the case, the capacity was created fir a reason - if it's not needed it will be stepped down by management.

@stayclosetoyourself I'm a critical care nurse.
@tonz I fully believe if people were admitted to hospital earlier a lot of people would still be here today. Not just my opinion either.
This is why the hero worshipping bothers me to be honest...Some love to lap it up but I've noticed a good lot of nhs staff are feeling the same way as me.
If you hadn't seen any grabby nurses get on social media or the tv it's full of them and the ones of us who just want to get on with it get lumped together with them.
There's going to be a backlash and we will all be on the receiving end

Critical care has proven to be quieter than expected in our hospital as it's more about basic Rx/ cpap on the cpap areas and ITU has had hardly any patients in compared to normal.

@overworkedandstressed none of what you have said is your fault. Government is to blame for the way nhs is running at the moment.
It's nurses like you I would give the shirt off my back just for the honesty

It's not always quiet on my ward. I've seen a lot of death due to covid including a child. I just feel some could have been saved if brought in earlier.Nhs is failing it's patients. No it's not the nurses fault it is this way but it doesn't make me feel better about it.
I'm doing my job and being paid and am provided withPPE so don't feel I'm at more risk than say retail staff,police, bus drivers etc.
My baby sister however is at risk in a care home but gets hardly any notice I think she may be the reason I feel the way I do. She's a genuine fucking hero and I'm so proud to call her my sister. I'm worried sick about her but she gets up and gets on with it when she cries it's into her pillow in private and I wish some nurses would do the same is all.
I don't need to queue jump I just need my patients to get to me earlier.
I don't need your shirt @tonz .....unless it's designer 😂

I was standing in the queue in Waitrose after work yesterday, a member of staff saw my NHS ID and sent me to the front, I didn’t know they were doing that and felt a but self conscious but I’d had a terrible day trying to get a dying man home before a BH weekend and was knackered.

DH is shielding so all shopping falls to me as well as full time work with loads of unpaid overtime.

I wouldn’t do it on my day off but only shop in the NHS crack of dawn slot so I have some time with DH.

@sauvignonblanche That's exactly how the queue jumping should be used. After your shift is perfectly fine. Day off no but a working day Absolutely do it

Yes, why not? Anyone who complains about it is meanminded, not worth taking any notice at all. They don't know what they want, theyd probably shit themselves if you were queuing up with them anyway. Swings n roundabouts.

*@overworkedandstressed *
Yes most of my shirts are designer. Im a clothes horse can't help myself. You however can take the lot.
I genuinely do appreciate the work nhs does.
I hope your sister comes out the other side of this safe and well. My nan is in a care home so I also really appreciate the work she does.
Your parents must be so proud of their girls

It's not your or your hospital colleagues fault they are not in earlier it's actually due to the strict advice the govt put out about stay st home.

For thoose who say why not, what about other key workers? Where do you draw the line. ?

That's exactly what she's saying... Stay at home protect the NHS but she took the job to protect her patients and they aren't being protected when they need it most.
Probably why shes embarrassed by her colleagues dancing about on social media

Also a key worker struggling at times to get shopping either due to supplies or time. I’m shattered.

Absolutely no issue with you going ahead. People need to get over themselves.