Would I be unreasonable to not accept healthcare work?

[FarOutandLoud]

I'm expecting to get torn apart by this.
I am a supply teacher. No experience in healthcare etc.
My agency conducted a survey last week asking if there are other sectors we'd be interesting in working in as teaching is obviously unlikely,
At the time, i ticked carer and support worker and nursery assistant,
However on second thoughts, I wouldnt feel comfortable. I have no experience and I live with my 7 and 8 year old sisters who i am homeschooling, and a dad who has health problems,
Maybe i'm selfish that I dont feel confident putting myself at the front of it all.
I am helping my elderly next door neighbors with their shopping but other than that, i have savings and i am being productive teaching at home,

I'm just feeling so much anxiety incase they ring.

I am fortunate to be able to work from home but I wouldn’t work in healthcare now or before the crisis. It’s just not something I would be any good at or want to do. I wouldn’t expect others to want to do my job either. I don’t think you can tell people they can’t use the NHS if they won’t sign up to work for it, that is a ridiculous statement. YANBU OP.

You might be seating 6 feet away talking to someone who needs some company. That is not what carers do at all! Yes we keep people company but most of that is whilst doing something else as we don't have the time. We are not staffed enough to be able to just sit and chat although we would love to.

Don’t feel guilty! You’re NOT obliged to put yourself on the frontline and don’t let anybody make you feel bad about it. People like to force their altruistic views on others, due to a lack of empathy. NHS staff do it because it’s their job, I guarantee you not everyone is fighting to be on the frontline. We are all human.

ok, but why should that mean that someone who has no ‘calling’ to the vocation, who is actually scared of it, should be forced to do it? The NHS should be free at the point of use to all- not free at the point of use to my relatives if I work there, with everyone else taking their chances at the back of the queue

Are you being deliberately obtuse?

1. I never, ever said she should be forced. Actually I said the opposite, that the last thing we need on the wards is people being forced to work there.

1. She was happy to do it until she thought about the fact she has family. That's the reason she gave. Not that she doesn't have a calling, but that she has sisters and a father and doesn't want to bring it home. Neither do I. Neither does anyone else. I'm scared too. If I decided to leave now for those reasons, I would be well within my rights to do so - but I would be being selfish.

1. I have explained this twice now, please keep up. It is not about who is deserving and care is not rationed based on who works where. However, do you think the NHS is in the business of spending excess money on untrained help for no reason? No. It's BECAUSE we are already struggling for staffing that people are being asked.

It is INCREDIBLY naive to be imagining that OPs family can come in and there will be staff chatting in a staff room ignoring her. No. The option could very well be taken away from us if the numbers continue to increase AS WELL AS staff becoming sick and requiring isolation.

1. She is not going to he expected to start intubating Covid patients. But she could definitely help stocking some trollies, registering patients, making cups of tea, sitting with elderly or co fused patients, helping clean bedspaces for the next patient, reading to sick kids etc.

If you have said OP is unreasonable and you don't work in a front line role, are you volunteering to help the NHS?

The agency are not coming at this from an altruistic point of view, they are seeing the opportunity to make some money from different sectors using their qualified teachers to do unqualified roles and using the guilt factor to spur them on.

OP If you consider other roles, I would certainly make sure that you establish what the agency are proposing to pay you.... by paying you for an unqualified role how will the pay compare to what you would receive if you are furloughed?

You also need to understand what steps they are putting into place to ensure your safety.

However, you have said your dad is vulnerable. The advice from teaching unions is that you should not be in work if you live with someone vulnerable. Go to the website of the union you are in and find what they have to say about it so you have the wording to hand if and when the agency calls.

If you feel guilty, perhaps offer shopping to other vulnerable people in your area as well as your next door neighbour.

... give a thought to all the NHS volunteers.

If you don't feel you can then don't. I'm NHS, it's not for everyone. There are aspects to the job that you have to be able to deal with it, from feeding, washing, toileting, bodily fluids, death, to grieving families. It's hard enough during full speed pressures, nevermind on steroids . Do not feel guilty. I've got kids and I'm going back after sick leave. I'm not sure how it's going to go, but it's been my job years and have dealt with all of the above.

I don't think you should do it if you are not confident.

I also think the comment about Ops sisters and dad was really uncalled for.

@JaneTheVirgin not being deliberately obtuse. Understand your points but think you’re in the wrong I’m afraid- you’re using slightly warped logic IMO.

Saying that someone who doesn’t want to take a healthcare job doesn’t deserve to have treatment for their family is really awful.

I understand that the NHS is under pressure and this is an overwhelming for everyone that works in it- I have close friends and family on the front line- I do have an idea of what you’re talking about. Like I say, I’m volunteering myself to help out where I can. The bottom line is that nobody should be expected to go to work in healthcare (even filling trolleys) if they don’t want to, until the government conscripts us. If they do, then fair enough. I would suggest here that the issue is chronic underfunding of the NHS under austerity- it’s not the responsibility of individuals to rectify this- we should all be directing our anger at the government.

You’re coming across as very aggressive and we’re clearly not going to agree, so let’s leave it there. Wish you all the best and hope you stay safe.

Saying that someone who doesn’t want to take a healthcare job doesn’t deserve to have treatment for their family is really awful.

This is not what I said. Nor what I believe.

I'm not intending to be aggressive and I apologise if it came across that way. But you are refusing to read what I have said 3 times now and instead arguing with a point I have not made which makes me out to look truly awful.

To clarify everyone deserves care. Everyone. OP, her family, everyone. I was not trying to say they shouldn't get care but that if no one wants to help out at caring we may get to a point where there aren't enough carers to help them when they need it

Hundreds of thousands have come forward. It will be expected that a number of them will drop out for any number of reasons. It doesn't mean that no-one will.

OP, in the gentlest way, if you are feeling nervous of a phone call offering work, you're not mentally in the right place to be working. Lots of people would love to be getting out there right now. It's about fitting the right person in the right place. We can all do our bit and if homeschooling your family is what you can do, then thank you for educating our citizens, even if it's just 2 of them.

@Winter2020 student nurse here, but the nurses I'm working with, and healthcares are not getting any increased pay (other than the unsociable hours enhancements if the shifts fall on a weekend or nights). My mentor is on her eighth shift in a row, same pay. She stayed late 2 hours the other night with me and a rather sick patient we had, and she's not even sure she'll get paid for those extra two hours as if she'd have stayed "clocked in" she wouldn't have been able to return for her shift the next morning. We are in the North so we aren't even overran with Corona patients yet, we have a few. It's more the staff shortages due to self isolating. PPE is slowly starting to filter through, we got fit tested yesterday for PPE, but it hasn't made it to the ward yet. I must say, it's pretty grim at the moment, and I really feel for our patients after we suspended all visiting. Of course we had to do that, but it's heartbreaking seeing them without their families to brighten their day.

If you went to work would your dad be able to look after them in normal school hours as well as outside them, or would you have to contact their school about sending them? If his health problems place him on the vulnerable list, this seems quite risky,

From the point of view of NHS needs, you are with the supply agency as a teacher. That doesn't preclude you from applying for jobs in any sector with organisations they haven't introduced you to, does it? They don't own you and they're not entitled to fees for any work you may do, just to what you've agreed about paid employment obtained through the agency. Before my most recent permanent employment which lasted nearly 14 years, I had various agency temp jobs and two maternity leave cover contracts in local government which applied for directly in response to newspaper adverts (it was more than 20 years ago before online recruitment!)

I understand the NHS has been recruitihng for ancillary posts but now I've heard that organisations doing this are dealing with the applications they already have. I don't see why if OP did want to take up roles outside of normal employment this should be through the supply teacher agency - this would be a lot more expensive to the NHS than direct temporary ancillary work - or I think some hospitals have their own bank/casual workers.

@FarOutandLoud I wouldn’t do it everybody is entitled to change their minds it’s free will. I’ve been doing my job role for over 7 years and it is a terrible time working on the front line everybody is anxious, snapping at one & lack of staff. You can’t just go into another field especially in the middle of a crisis. It would be too much for you I think it’s getting too much for the experience staff let alone you.
Although if you did want to volunteer or enquire about community work you could try that out.