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.

I’m happy for pretty much anyone to go in front of me. NHS staff working 12 hours shifts. Patents with kids. Elderly or infirm.

I’m happy to chill out in the queue on my phone. I’m furloughed so it’s the only time I go out.

No . I'm a key worker supporting two very vulnerable people at home. Everyone going to the shops has their own story and priorities. NHS shouldn't jump the queue. They are paid to do a job.

Sorry parents with kids!

No. I can see the reasons why they'd want to, but there are plenty of people who are finding the long queues difficult. Those who work long hours in other essential jobs, or have difficulty standing for long periods, or have autism or other sensory issues. It isn't fair to skip ahead.

I haven't done it yet but feel I might need to simply because I do all the cooking and shopping and wearing masks visors and aprons all day at work in this heat I feel absolutely physically and mentally exhausted. If I go and Im not really tired out I can and do wait. All carers working long hours should have the same.

I don't have any kind of problem with it.

I was at the front of the queue at Aldi and about to go in when somebody with a NHS lanyard took my spot. I was personally fine with that but the person in front of me was clearly struggling to stand so if she took his spot then I'd be unimpressed. I was in the queue 15 mins tops so assuming that this man was waiting a similar amount too.

I think that on rainy or cold days, people will get tetchy about the policy

No. I'm classed as a keyworker and get absolutely no perks for being at work day in day out. I'd be seriously pissed off if I was queueing after a long shift & someone got to skip the queue because they were an NHS worker

@JustOneLastThing
Absolutely front of the queue every time.
Cannot believe the people on here saying otherwise.
The fuck those that say no what do you do in your life that is so valuable to others.

I haven't. I just go to M&S - there is never a queue. I've also been to Morrisons after I finished a nightshift earlier, it was very quiet with no queue either. I don't carry my lanyard outwith work anyway because it's dirty and so it lives in the car in my 'covid' bag.

"DP can't go out as he's 'medium risk' according to the GP"

So he has plenty of time to organise a clock and collect or delivery then?

"Medium risk" sounds nowhere near needing to shield.

Yes I think frontline workers should go to the front of the queue to minimise their time in the shop, on a purely practical level they are most likely to be around Covid so the less time they are stood waiting in queues the less likely they are to infect people! Also just out of respect for the extra dangers you are going through.

Yes of course.

I'm in the "no" camp. You have no idea what people in that queue's situation are and it's a weird presumption to think NHS staff are busier, more important and more worthy.

I’ve used my pass to skip queues occasionally. Mostly when I’m rushing to her shopping on my way home and also trying to make it home in time to see my children before they go to bed. If it’s a day off then no I don’t use it. My partner can’t shop as home with the little ones, one of which is being shielded.

I'm NHS staff, I've worked 20 hours approx overtime every week since middle Feb due to Covid. I'm admin. I queue, and am v happy for frontline staff to go ahead of me, but I would appreciate less them and us language between NHS keyworkers and other keyworkers.

Yes they should.

People who begrudge it are probably tory voters so fuck em.

Those mentioning the dedicated shopping hour seem to be forgetting that most NHS staff are at work during that time. My local supermarket has a dedicated NHS on Sunday morning. I can’t remember the last Sunday I didn’t work. If I waited for that we would have all starved by now.

Frontline NHS - yes.
Any NHS - no

There is no way to filter out who works where though. How would the Tesco staff know if Nurse A or B was on a covid ward or not?

I think the queue jumping was a nice gesture when there was nothing on the shelves. I think it should stop now the shops are more back to normal. May be unpopular opinion.

The fuck those that say no what do you do in your life that is so valuable to others.

So what about police officers, fire fighters, teachers in school caring for the kids of key workers, social workers, bus drivers, truck drivers, bin men, IT engineers,... the list goes on and on. All doing things to keep the fabric of society intact, all key workers in their own right.

I truly value the NHS, and would support what I could, and don’t mind someone going ahead of me in a shop queue, but I don’t make the mistake of thinking no one else is doing worthwhile work.

I wouldn’t begrudge you for doing so

Queues generally move quite fast so no big deal. The only longer wait I’ve had was for Waitrose, took about 30 minutes but I think that’s due to them allowing less people inside than other supermarkets

Selfishly, I’d rather you were in and out as fast as possible to prevent you transmitting the disease to anyone else! I assume any covid ward staff member is a carrier - my sister is a nurse with full ppe and caught covid within weeks of working on the ward so ppe isn’t foolproof.

No, uless we have people at the front of queues with clipboards assessing each person's worthiness for queue jumping.

NHS front line covid, yes.

NHS frontline currently with no work to do so makes dance videos, no.

Private nursing home, yes.

Trucker, courier, prison, Foodbank staff, retail worker, binman all have hard jobs but need to queue.

Why can't you get an online delivery or click and collect?

Given the no of nursing and medical staff reported as infected by Covid 19, I would rather you went to the front of the queue, away from me, and left the shop as quickly as possible TBH.

I think the issue I have with it is all the ‘I’m NHS working 6 day weeks, 60 hour’ thing. It’s not just NHS doing this, it’s not just Key Workers. I’m private sector and for years have done this and never get to queue jump as I have a demanding job. I’m not undermining the hard work everyone if having to do, as it is truly appreciated. However, the excuse of long hours is not one that works for me as someone that is just expected to do this as a norm.

Personally, if you are COVID frontline in any form, I don’t want to be standing next to you in the queue so please go to the front and get out the shop as quick as possible :-)