No because other frontline key workers, who are working equally long shifts and putting themselves at the same risk, are not getting the same preferential treatment. A prison guard, bus driver or retail staff are probably actually at more risk than frontline NHS at the moment as they don’t have the PPE to protect them. There is no ‘lie detector’ section at the front of the supermarket or before people get on the bus to make sure anyone with symptoms goes to the right place or to stop them coming in. You can’t wipe a bus down after each customer. These people are also working extra hours - there are staff shortages up and down the country in every industry. These people aren’t getting freebies, they are having to homeschool their children and will still have caring responsibilities. The fact that care workers are completely ignored in all this hero worship for our carers is astonishing. These workers are dealing with the same stuff that frontline Covid-19 NHS are but they are also likely dealing with dementia and additional care needs, not to mention the mental health of all their residents who have not been allowed visitors since before lockdown started.
I have no problem letting people queue jump. Before lockdown, I have let paramedics, police officers jump in front of me. I’ve also let people who have had a handful of items jump in front. During lockdown, I’ve let a few elderly people in front of me - because in my eyes, they should be minimising the time they spend out. However, when we create a rule that allows one group in all the time, we become inclined to stop letting those other groups in front of us. Plus where do we draw the line? We let all the frontline key workers queue jump. What about those that have mobility issues (obviously within that we have hidden disabilities too)? Heavily pregnant? Vulnerable or shielding but cannot get delivery slots? What about those who are at home carers? This becomes a long list of people who can queue jump and queue jumping becomes somewhat irrelevant. We haven’t even got into the fact that men, BAME and obese people are all at greater risk (although queue jumping for any of those groups isn’t going to be well received). Plus those who can’t provide evidence (hidden disabilities, at home carers) or those that don’t fit in those categories and going to get pissed off at waiting outside for hours while everyone else gets to go ahead of them.
Also, the hero worshipping of the NHS. Honestly, it isn’t the only industry that is working hard at the moment. I think it’s also ridiculous to say that clinical staff should queue jump but admin staff shouldn’t. Admin staff at the NHS will be working hard too. They might not be seeing death of patients but who do you think is sourcing the PPE for the frontline staff? Who do you think is making sure that the NHS bills are paid so they can keep getting medications/equipment for patients. Who do you think are making sure our frontline NHS workers are getting paid? I’m sure there will be some areas that are quiet but it’s likely these staff have been redeployed. The hero worship of the NHS, and those that bask in it, means that it’s a higher fall from grace when you do fall. The British public are fickle and have short memories. In 5 years time, when Covid-19 has done one and either someone has made a genuine mistake or a relative isn’t happy with the outcome, this will be thrown back in their face. Abuse of NHS workers won’t go away after this.
I think a lot of people are working hard at this moment. Some are at home, some aren’t. Some are key workers and some aren’t. IT workers in many industries are not classed as key workers but how many of us could actually work from home without our IT department? I think it’s unfair to assume that is only the NHS affected and working hard at the moment. For those who aren’t working at the moment, who to quote a PP, have nothing better to do, their mental health has taken a big hit to allow us to flatten the curve so the NHS can cope.
To answer PP’s - no I don’t clap for the NHS. It doesn’t mean I’m not grateful for them but I disagree with the hero worship and I think there are better ways to show your appreciation - not parking in staff bays when you visit the hospital, not shouting at staff when you don’t get the answer you want, thanking staff even if it isn’t the outcome you want. I’m not a tory voter, I’m a floating voter and have probably voted for every major party other than UKIP at some point in local and general elections. I have not voted tory in the previous two general elections, at least but maybe longer.