Five years ago, the NHS shut down. Does anyone else remember?

[Kennobi]

Because I do.

In fact I have several quite specific memories from that time. The time when we were all supposed to "stay the fuck at home", "protect our NHS" and read that fucking kitty O'Meara poem.

I shall share those memories with you here. Please add any similar.

1. My good work friend, a young man in his twenties, realised his flatmate had covid and was struggling to breathe. He dialled 999 and the operator talked him through how to find and use the nearest defibrillator, at the co op shop, half a mile from his house. No, they weren't sending an ambulance and yes he was required to activate a defibrillator, on remote instruction, for a woman who wasn't his wife, or sister, or child and as far as the NHS was concerned that was it, job done, they wouldn't be sending medics to an address where there was covid in case they caught it.

1. My cousin, a man in his fifties, caught covid. My auntie repeatedly rang for emergency assistance as his lips were turning blue, was told to monitor him each time, he died.

1. My best friend caught it, again struggling to breathe, they asked her can you breathe? No. Are your lips blue? Yes. Are you able to watch a TV programme for five minutes (ie basically are you conscious)? Yes. Ok fine you can maybe see a doctor tomorrow. Saw a GP in a car park, wearing a mask, who confirmed she wasn't dead, and sent her on her way. She now has long covid and it doesn't look like she'll ever get her life back.

It seems to me that at the time we most needed our health system it was unavailable to us.

Do others have similar stories?

My good work friend, a young man in his twenties, realised his flatmate had covid and was struggling to breathe. He dialled 999 and the operator talked him through how to find and use the nearest defibrillator, at the co op shop, half a mile from his house. No, they weren't sending an ambulance and yes he was required to activate a defibrillator, on remote instruction, for a woman who wasn't his wife, or sister, or child and as far as the NHS was concerned that was it, job done, they wouldn't be sending medics to an address where there was covid in case they caught it.

A few things:

He wouldn't be told to use a defibrillator on someone who was conscious. He might be told to retrieve one in case it's needed later.
Plenty of people use a defibrillator on remote instruction for complete strangers. I met a man whose life was saved by a defib used by two strangers following my instructions over the telephone, so not sure what "wasn't his wife, sister or child" has to do with it.
If they were overwhelmed or too busy to send an ambulance immediately, he'd have been told to call back if the patient's condition worsened.
So many paramedics caught COVID from patients, they were some of the earliest COVID victims. I'd love to know which part of the country told its paramedics they didn't need to respond to breathing difficulties just in case 🤣

I remember people being told not to bother calling their GP, just call 111, and I remember people trying to call 111 and not being able to get through, and dying still trying to call 111.

It was the sense that the systems we'd always trusted to protect us were no longer there and we were left alone.

I also remember, having been left to look after ourselves, I paid for a private antibody test to find out if I'd had it, and the government banned the lab from giving the results!

And then there was the period of guilt tripping people who wore masks.

So having been abandoned to our fate and having to look after ourselves, the government tried to stop people doing just that.

They knew damn well they should have had stocks in case of a pandemic but they'd decided to rely on a supply chain that relied on China.

Sending elderly people home from hospitals to care homes was basically manslaughter.

Plus all the people who decided the rules didn't apply to them...I remember late 2020 when I'd travelled overseas twice, self isolated totally alone in my home for two weeks each time, and it came out that only 20% of the population were bothering to self isolate after returning from overseas.

The NHS did not shut down my husband continued going to work at the local hospital throughout. Some procedures took longer due to extra cleaning and eventually testing bit it did not shut down. Priorities changed maybe

No point looking back. It was a national emergency.

I work in intensive care; we were completely and utterly overwhelmed. All of our theatre spaces, theatre recovery beds and some ward areas were all turned into intensive care beds. 90% of patients had COVID, the death rate rocketed despite our v best efforts. Clinical staff were pulled in from all areas, working many more hours, making decisions we didn't want to make, and holding the hands of patients in their last hours with their relatives on a video call on ipads. Many of us have PTSD from that time.

The NHS became the NCS. The National Covid Service. It appeared to me that unless you had covid,they didn't want to know.

If you read the thread there are numerous posts where excellent care was given for non Covid related illnesses.

About a week into the first lockdown, my CEV DH became ill, suspected urosepsis. I remember the receptionist at the surgery crying when she told me the precautions that had to be taken when the person from the surgery came down and her putting on pretty much hazmat gear on the drive. He was taken in though and given the IV antibiotics that he urgently needed. When I went to collect him a few days later, the A&E department had papered over windows and a sign saying "Children's Respiratory Ward" and I cried then.

It was an awful, horrible time but instead of blaming the frontline staff who risked their lives to keep the NHS going, because it didn't shut down, why not express some fury at the likes of Michelle Mone and the money she made from her useless PPE? Many more examples.

This is so untrue it's unreal. I worked all during COVID in the wards so seen first hand the care the patients were given with very little to no information on COVID...plus lack of PPE etc etc etc.....not to mention the numerous staff who died in providing care to patients. If you felt so strongly about the poor care given why didn't you go and volunteer in a hospital during COVID? You would definitely have been appreciated

Most of us appreciate your dedication. Thank you so much.

My friends dad (in Ireland) had just started having tests to figure out why he was feeling so unwell, covid hit a few weeks later and everything stopped, all appointments cancelled.
10 months later they resumed tests, discovered cancer, it had already spread. He died 6 months after diagnosis.

Could have lived much much longer and had a chance at being cured had they not stopped all tests.

The NHS has always refused to treat people. You just happened to see that refusal in action during COVID.

An Advanced Search against my name will show you that I am the last person to put healthcare staff on a pedestal, yet even I believe that they have the right to keep themselves safe from a novel infectious disease that is known to be lethal.

We are not "required to venerate" the NHS. I don't. I didn't clap during COVID. It's a State service I pay taxes towards like the roads. I don't expect roads to always be open to traffic, I don't expect the NHS to always treat people.

This is what happens when there's a pandemic. It's what will happen next time there is one, too, if there's no quick treatment/fix. It's really awful for all those affected but sadly this is the reality, and SARS-CoV-2 wasn't even as deadly as others might be. I think one of the very worst things was how people weren't allowed to be with their dying relative. Absolutely soul-destroying. I hope that never happens again.

If all the people who developed breathing difficulties because they had COVID but were still conscious had been taken into hospital, what do you think would have happened?

Do you think that perhaps COVID would have spread to people who were already very ill in hospital and killed them? Because that is what would have happened. Do you think that medical staff would have come down with COVID in droves and been off sick, leaving critically-ill patients without care? Because that would have happened too.

When you are faced with the choice of risking one person's life by withholding treatment or risking dozens of lives by giving treatment, you withhold treatment.

Ds had acute appendicitis during the first lock down.
He was taken straight into hospital and it was removed.
It wasn't shut down.

But I wouldn't take the opinion of someone who thinks that a defib is for breathing issues anyway.

I had an X ray 24 hours after the GP requested it. Most people were too frightened to go for diagnostics appointments. It was incredibly eerie walking into a huge, empty treatment centre which is normally bustling. There was no wait, I was in and out in 15 minutes.

It didn't shut down. They were up to their neck in covid patients

At the worst we had Icu, theatre and Hdu full with seriously ill covid patients. We then had 4/5 wards with covid patients . Minimal surgery, clinics stopped, staff redeployed was how my trust coped.

You can look back with hindsight, should of, could of. But it was unknown in modern times. Don’t forget many wrong decisions were made by a government that did not practice what they preached.

My daughter had appendicitis during one of the lockdowns. I think it was just after Xmas 2020. 111 directed her to urgent care, I drover her but couldn't come in with her. They directed her to A and E, and I had to leave her there as she was over 18.
They admitted her, scanned her and got the appendix out straight away.
She did not enjoy being alone in hospital, but we could not fault any of the staff or the treatment she was given.
I have only the greatest respect for the staff working through the pandemic, whether on Covid wards or elsewhere. It was a dreadful time and I am so glad it is behind us.
The OP obviously has had some dreadful things happen to her, but I don't believe the NHS shut down, some very difficult choices had to be made.

I’m interested in what the op does for a living, how much they get paid for that and exactly how much it contributes to the rest of society.

Also when they are planning on setting an example by joining the NHS and working 12 hour shifts on understaffed and underresourced wards, cleaning up shit and dealing with infected patients - potentially without PPE - for minimum wage.

I wanted to press the laughter emoji for pro-level snark of your second paragraph, but I didn't want you to think that I was laughing at your DS having appendicitis.

What has always struck me is the anti GP feeling during and after this. Yes, it was hard to get to see a doctor in the community, of course it would be, they were protecting medically highly qualified people because at the start noone had any idea how long it would go on for, how bad it would be and when a vaccine would be ready. Exposing them to avoidable risk could have resulted in utter disaster for everyone.

My GP, who I also knew well professionally, ignored the symptoms of his own cancer during this time because he was so occupied. Fortunately he was eventually treated in time.

People talked about covid all the time for years. Most people aren’t desperate to go picking at those old wounds again, I know I’m not.

My colleague started up today with the “just think, five years ago we were all…” and everyone else just kind of ignored her and moved the conversation on. We don’t need to relive all that yet again.

THIS. We weren’t the ones having fucking cheese and wine parties.

How many would die because that NHS worker is off with COVID?