To be flabbergasted by this Government’s incompetence.

[Cam77]

*2000 of 500,000 NHS staff tested.
*Germany performing nearly TEN TIMES the number of tests as the UK. despite the WHO saying for weeks and weeks that they key is to “test test test”
*Continuing shortages of basic PPE for health workers (who are being threatened if they speak out)
*Thousands of people still cramming on to public transport, with not one metre let alone 2 metre distance.
*The Government failing to sign up to the EU ventilator scheme.
*Being one of the last Western countries to close schools and implement any kind of lockdown.

I know it’s tough for everyone but this is a level of criminal negligence from the British government. Absolutely shocking.

//Balhammom

I do love the way that every individual with an O level in textile studies or home economics now thinks that they’re an expert in epidemiology.

While no response to this type of situation is ever perfect, so far as I can see, the government has been following the advice of eminent scientists and clinicians, rather than the readers of mumsnet. Funnily enough, I’m okay with that.///

They have not been following the advice of the WHO who do not advocate a “herd immunity” sacrifice. They have been shown to be blatantly lying to the public in the last few days which should be a cause of concern.

The WHO have also been advocating lower standards for PPE than UK experts (eg NHS using P3 masks where passionless, rather than P2).

Not all scientists / countries agree with WHO position entirely.

I think we are all allowed an opinion on this crisis as it is something none of us could have predicted . I am no fan of Boris but I do feel he is listening to Prof Vallance and Dr Harries et al. Admittedly the NHS should have been given the correct PPE at an earlier stage and obviously the testing for its staff - hopefully he is getting the message and things will change . For me, the 5pm briefings have highlighted who can be seen as a safe pair of hands, to calm the public. The Chancellor has come across well although there are some flaws with his plan (who is going to pay for it , in the long term) and Michael Gove is very capable of making you feel safe with his air of authority . I am looking forward to seeing Pritti Patel "perform" but I digress. At this point I am SO grateful I am not in USA .

I’m listening to radio 4 atm and there is a marked change in tone and content. There is no longer an acceptance of anything that govt ministers are saying as being based on fact.

People keep mentioning Corbyn because they don't want to admit they fell for lies and voted for an incompetent joker

Erm, well Sweden have left some schools open and groups of no more than 50 can congregate. They are taking the herd immunity approach right now and their numbers are low.

You’re not going to see Patel at the briefing. Quite sensibly they’ve locked her in a cupboard with Rees Mogg.

Admittedly the NHS should have been given the correct PPE at an earlier stage and obviously the testing for its staff - hopefully he is getting the message and things will change

“Should have been given”???
Many still haven’t received promised PPE?

I love these threads.
They keep all the tinfoil hatters, armchair experts and keyboard warriors in one place, leaving the rest of the internet that tiny bit freer for the rest of us.
Exactly this.

i think its interesting that people like clapping for the nhs but they dont actually believe them when they say the lack of ppe is dangerous and the lack of ventilators is criminal. they'd rather believe boris- and well- with his history of truthfulness and compassion, who can blame them?

I’m still not sure how useful it is testing the 500,000 NHS staff. Unless they are all tested every day, they could be negative one day but positive the next.

Corbyn is gone and the best I am hoping for is a half-way competent Shadow Leader who will keep the Tories on their toes.

I am also critical of the lies and fudges on display. They had three extra weeks over Italy in which to prepare and did...nothing. Since then, its been on-the-hoof-panic. At the very bloody least, they could have checked for PPE supplies and testing capacity.

The UK has more deaths than any country except for 6 others (China, the US, Italy, France, Spain, Iran).

China, Iran and Italy took off well before the UK and should have given it some time to prepare.

So I don't think it's quite right to say the UK is doing as well as most countries. Most countries are doing far better than the UK.

Yes, Sweden is a very interesting example.
They seem to be following the hard immunisation theory.
It will be interesting to see how the virus plays out with them in the long term

At the moment their numbers are low.
It is a large rural country with a small population compared to the UK so perhaps that course of action may favour them.

I’m listening to radio 4 atm and there is a marked change in tone and content. There is no longer an acceptance of anything that govt ministers are saying as being based on fact.

I’m sure you’d enjoy having a little root around in that kind of propaganda channel...

@MeganBacon
"They keep all the tinfoil hatters, armchair experts and keyboard warriors in one place, leaving the rest of the internet that tiny bit freer for the rest of us."

I think what you're referring to is open discussion of the biggest event in our lifetimes and our government's response to it. I think you will find similar discussions are taking place elsewhere on the net, around the world, and in hundreds of languages. Such comments as yours trying to shut down debate don't come across as smart and worldly, merely ridiculous.

@countrygirl99

No I think these posters feel genuinely relieved that we don’t have Jeremy Corbyn in charge right now.

Unless the government had magically made this disappear with no effect on anyone’s lives, then people would complain.

Truth is none of us are making the decisions because none of us have the ability or knowledge to a better job. Very easy for keyboard warriors to complain and criticise whilst having zero grasp of epidemiology or how to run a country.

Myself included.

so you feel no one can criticise the govts actuons (or inaction)?

such a fucking weird attitude.

I work for a scientific company. They sent us all home before the government said to work from home. They bought extra PPE for staff a few months ago because they could see what was coming - most of which has now been donated to the NHS. They put in plans for home working where possible while the government was still saying to wash your hands.
I do wonder why a small company is better able to see what is coming and plan for it than a government with access to far more advice and resources.

PPE in particular is a disgrace. The Government should have been buying it since January and talking to UK firms to get them geared up to produce more. They should also have been advising the public to make home made masks.

Boris trademark is bumble his way through things while being lazy and being a coward that won't make hard decisions. He is the worst kind of leader to have in a crisis.

Internationally the Boris is seen, along side Trump and Bolsonaro, as one of the Three Horsemen of Indifference

And Corbyn has never been PM he is irrelevant. If we did not have Boris we would have another conservative PM instead and I can think of a number of them who would have done a much better job.

I think you will find similar discussions are taking place elsewhere on the net, around the world, and in hundreds of languages.

Shit - you mean Boris Johnson runs all those other countries too?

Or could it be that the whole world is being walloped by this pandemic? I guess we’ll never know!

No, I think it’s bizarre that people seem to think they know better.

When they clearly don’t.

@TheSandman Yes we are a national laughing stock internationally, either that or people feel sorry for us.

we're not allowed to say that here. here we scrape down to boris and say hes doing a super job. much better than trump or corbyn. thats the level of discussion now.