George Cross for the NHS.

[RealhousewifeofStoke]

Love it
Wonderful recognition of what the frontline staff have endured and continue to deal with throughout the pandemic

And you have consultants crying over 6 figure salaries in the papers as it isn't as much as lawyers.

Don't like your job GET OUT OF IT

Oh, and I'm sure that the pay rise could come from the £350m a week that we're saving as a result of Brexit to channel into our NHS... 🤦🏻‍♀️

I was joking BTW. I’m a conveyancing solicitor, who I know are not particularly popular right now.

Good on you @CrouchEndTiger12.

While obviously a parish would be a better show of appreciation... to put into context the George Cross has been awarded to approx 400 individuals in its history, and this is the third time for a group award. The others being to Malta in WW2, and to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1999(as it was then called).

I’m an NHS back office worker who has bust a gut throughout COVID as my job is very relevant right now (research department opening numerous high profile clinical trials). I don’t deserve or want a medal but I deserve a bloody pay rise. I am looking for a new job as I feel totally unappreciated.

CrouchEndTiger it's not a race to the bottom. If you aren't paid enough, or your service is underfunded, join a union and fight for better conditions. Don't knock others who are taking action to better their own T&Cs.

(And I'm on 1/4 - 1/5 of a consultant's wage so far from well-paid myself, comparatively speaking, but I dislike the mindset that we should all be grateful just to have a job and no one who is on more than minimum wage is allowed to complain if they're getting shafted by their employer.)

Meaningless nonsense

Well when the Queen becomes responsible for funding the NHS I’m sure she’ll ok a payrise.
In the meantime I remain in awe of my friends snd colleagues

Sadly anticipating the usual comments that migrate onto these threads - 'nurses dancing in ppe for tik tok, can't be busy'
'sat at the nursing station surfing the net for ebay bargains.' 'lazy, rude, and cruel'
Oh and the NHS 'not fit for purpose, needs a radical overhaul'
Same comments, usually same posters...

Is this to make up for the UK losing its share of the EU Nobel Peace Prize?

My partner said that makes him a 'sir'

Just the same as clapping, cheap and nothing about the life of the individual staff will change.

They will still have degrees and masters, but still paid less than teachers with the same qualifications.

They will still have to risk their lives and their families' lives treating people with infectious diseases that should not be in the country and can be vaccinated against in people who refuse to accept medical science on one hand but have no trouble seeking medical help when their faith in their immune system proves severely flawed.

They will have to wear ffp1 masks when it is law in the US for health staff treating Covid patients to wear ffp3 masks.

"Multiple sources now estimate that over 650 health and social care workers have now died of COVID-19"

"At least 77,000 hospital staff in England caught coronavirus during the pandemic"

Plus they get a whopping 1% pay rise.

Lucky things.

I think they'd prefer a decent pay rise and the resources they need to do their jobs.

@DismantledKing

CrouchEndTiger12

I suppose the difference is that consultants are actually useful to society.

Lawyers are just as important what a ridiculous blinkered thing to say

@blacksax

What a lot of miserable bastards on this thread.

Well quite

But op - I'm really struggling to understand why it would make any difference to anyone if the organisation they work for gets some outmoded form of acknowledgment.

@EndSI

"Multiple sources now estimate that over 650 health and social care workers have now died of COVID-19"

"At least 77,000 hospital staff in England caught coronavirus during the pandemic"

Plus they get a whopping 1% pay rise.

Lucky things.

How many patients caught and died of covid whilst in hospital, in what should have been a "safe" place for the vulnerable.

@Medievalist

But op - I'm really struggling to understand why it would make any difference to anyone if the organisation they work for gets some outmoded form of acknowledgment.

Your struggle is not of any significance to me. I think it’s a lovely gesture. Plenty of others in the real world agree. Don’t waste any energy trying to understand something that has no impact on you.

Lol at the pp who’s partner says he is now a “sir” love that!

I'm really struggling to understand why it would make any difference to anyone if the organisation they work for gets some outmoded form of acknowledgment

I agree . And giving a collective award makes it seem even more meaningless IMO ..

Hmmm.

My sister is a theatre nurse and has been a Sister on Covid wards and in theatre for the last 18 months. Her hours are long, her shift patterns are awful, the mental drain has affected her mental health and she’s quite a tough cookie. I would rather she receive the pay rise she deserves.

Great. A picture of a medal on the NHS logo. Very useful.

A pay rise wouldn't address any of the underlying issues that cause staff to burn out, yet its always cited as the magical answer. All of the public sector gets screwed when it comes to pay and payrises, aside from porters, cleaning staff and HCAs the pay isn't actually that bad.

As a Nurse who doesn’t work in the NHS I find it all a bit meaningless. I worked a lot throughout covid caring for dying covid patients, endless overtime as we had so many staff isolating or sick with covid themselves but no George cross for us. What about the care home staff who have also worked tirelessly over the pandemic.
Even if I was a NHS nurse I wouldn’t find it of any significance. A select few will get to go to some awards but the ones who actually did the hard graft will get no recognition at all.
And I agree with the consultant and I don’t think they are paid that well for the amount of training they have had to do, how much they have to pay to go to work in regards to insurance and college fees, the responsibility they have and the amount of overtime they do. I’m tired of health services relying on the goodwill of its staff to run. Everyone should refuse to do any overtime at all until we are given the pay rise we all deserve.

It’s a lovely gesture from the Queen and only the third time it’s ever been awarded collectively.

Of course NHS staff should be getting a pay rise greater than 1% and I’d happily pay more tax to fund it but it’s pretty churlish to conflate the two. It should be both, not one or the other.