To think the glamorisation of the NHS isn't helpful

[YeahWhatevver]

My DH is a nurse and I'm getting really fed up with the glamorization of the NHS and Doctors and Nurses.

He's watching the TV, seeing the clapping, the endless stories of NHS saving the nation, the grit and determination of the staff, doubling down to fight off this virus and said last night how he wishes it was like that and him and his friends felt like that.

The truth couldn't be further, my DH and his colleagues are exhausted, under equipped, scared, and in their hearts of hearts don't want to be in a hospital. Who in their right mind would want to go into a virus infected ITU for hours per day and then come back to you wife and kids?

The public need to know how scared and overwhelmed these people are, not how Stacy, 21 from Newcastle has ended her nurse training early to go and join the fight and is one of the thousands of "heroes" grateful to be able to play their part.

I've already seen a marked change in DH's mood, he dreads going to a job that he used to love, I've got no idea what him and his colleagues will be like in another 8 weeks.

BlueBirdGreenFence

It is an active decision for everybody to go to a workplace where they know they are at a much higher risk of harm than they would be at home. If they don't want to put themselves at that risk they could resign, take a career break or be signed off for anxiety etc.

Hahaha. Very good!

Not fussed about clapping. can see across acute and community and care homes how not just acute that are in the sights.

Have wanted adequate/unexpired/enough PPE for weeks.

Have tracked government lies and spins about PPE (from 'everyone has what they need' then 'the warehouses are full' then 'the army are making a heroic effort'...)

Have noticed a change in media management towards a narrative of war/NHS heroes as it presumably makes the deaths of HCPs appear to be casualties of war which are expected rather than a result of decisions made by the government and incompetence.

Expect some financial small bonus as part of media management when things calm down before austerity round 2 and cuts in real terms funding and 'no such thing as a magic money tree' again.

Expect friends who made millions from post-2008 QE to enrich themselves further.

Want DC to come through with both or one parents surviving and neither of those parents having to live with the guilt of being responsible for the deaths of other family members from bringing the virus back.

Have been looking at working at Nightingale unit as promised that will have adequate PPE and accommodation might mean less likely to bring back virus to home.

I live in the US, and one of the local hospital trusts has just given a temporary pay rise to medical staff. It's a reasonable amount ($14 per hour) although nothing really compensates you for risking your life, but I hope it helps people who maybe are paying more for childcare/shopping etc as they try to juggle real life and work life.

also, lots of places like grocery stores & Amazon are giving small pay rises on a temporary basis.

There are also 'gestures' - like police doing a lit drive-by to show their appreciation.

I agree that clapping can seem pointless - except I know people who are using this as a way to talk to children about what is going on. It's about the only tangent thing to help explain to young kids. I would find it cringe, but I can see why it helps that one group.

It's the same when there's a war isn't it. Those brave soldiers, heroic and strong, grateful to serve their country etc etc... The reality is very different, as anyone who's served in the army or has a loved one that has will tell you.

It's all a bit pretend.

and yes - "casualties of war" sounds better than "our fault for underfunding and not reading our emails" as far the govt goes.

But there was never anything glamorous about soldiers dying, either.

My stepdaughter is an ITU nurse. She sent us a little video of her unit in full PPE clapping last night. She says it helps immeasurably to boost morale. She’s working 12 hour shifts, living in a hotel next to the hospital, hasn’t seen her partner for weeks and has no idea when they’ll see one another again.

We need to pay these people properly when all this is over without doubt but that’s a separate issue from a weekly five minute show of appreciation and gratitude which I suspect a tiny minority of NHS workers object to. What else can we do? We’re all powerless.

People are heroic because they are going in despite being scared, because they are struggling with inadequate resources, because they are exhausted but still working. The public know this and that is why they are clapping. If the nhs were working with limitless resources, doing short shifts, complete separate air system suits so no more chance of infection than anyone else, loads of staff, long breaks etc etc then we would be pleased they were doing their jobs but it wouldn’t be heroic. Heroism is rarely glamorous, it is normally risky and hard work.

Most people that work in the NHS are amazing to me, those currently in ICU/A&e and covid wards I cannot respect enough. People like domestics and porters entering those areas on basically minimum wage, hats of to them! Mental health in our nhs will be shocking though... people are already struggling!

I work in a hospital but paediatrics isn't yet as affected in the same way. I'd absolutely pay more tax to help not just NHS but social care services too. All in dire straits. Effectively potentially towards my own pay rise which I'll then pay in more tax, but after 15 years in the NHS I'm sick of seeing how badly funded all public services are.

I'm not convinced much will change to be honest. Everyone knows that this has been an issue for many years. Once lockdown ends the NHS will be busy for the foreseeable it's not a quick fix but as people return to their lives will these services just be forgotten again.

We need to pay these people properly when all this is over

But the realists among us know that that won't happen. And that kind of makes the gestures seem rather insulting at times.

I agree with you op.
I can't imagine how your husband must feel.
I agree it makes people feel more comfortable thinking those who work for the NHS are some sort of superhero, doing it for the love of the job rather than doing it to earn a ilving.you

I haven’t seen one news article that has glamourised the NHS. I’ve seen news items talking about worn out staff, shortage of staff, shortage of protective gear for frontline staff, NHS staff struggling to get food items with a nurse crying on social media. The whole point of the clapping and calling NHS staff angels and heroes is because it is such a hard job they are doing and it is exhausting. Yes they could walk out by guess what? They haven’t. So we are grateful for this. The clapping (minus the pot clanging and loons shouting at people to come outdoors) is to encourage staff and just a small way to say thank you.

Of course, they could show appreciation in other ways too eg increase wages, better working conditions etc who knows? Maybe all this has now highlighted just how important front line staff are and how they’re taken for granted. this is something can be looked at in much greater depth.

When I see doctors and nurses being shown on the news lounging by the poolside in their uniforms, sipping pina colada’s whilst taking patient temperatures then i’ll believe the NHS is being glamourised.

And that kind of makes the gestures seem rather insulting at times

There are many, many who aren’t insulted. And as long as they’re risking their lives, I’ll continue to applaud them.

The truth couldn't be further, my DH and his colleagues are exhausted, under equipped, scared, and in their hearts of hearts don't want to be in a hospital. Who in their right mind would want to go into a virus infected ITU for hours per day and then come back to you wife and kids?

But almost every day there's a nurse on the news, crying and telling everyone to stay at home. I think most people get it.

The public can't provide the NHS with what they need, so I don't see a problem with them clapping to show appreciation.

I wouldn't say it's glamorisation, more 'hero worship'. I don't think putting people on pedestals is healthy because people always want to knock them off again. It's a sport in this country.

Better that we just show respect to everybody, regardless of profession. I'm sure the NHS staff dread things returning to normal because the level of abuse that's generally reported will be just as it was. Some people are like that. Doesn't mean that they're not clapping now though.

It’s the same rhetoric and mythologising that allowed war time governments to get away with using people as cannon fodder and then not pick up the pieces afterwards.

If you describe people as heroes and angels, it makes it harder for them to complain when things are tough. It makes it seem as though they aren’t “grateful” or “humble” enough. The government encourages it because long term it allows them to keep undervaluing it financially because they’re using hyperbole to make it seem like it’s a beloved institution and we should be grateful they feel that way.

I think people clap because it's all we can do at the moment? We can't change the woeful behaviour of our government, but we can remember and make changes in the future.

Also, almost everyone still working outside their home is a 'hero'. And underpaid. Even my nephew who is a maintenance worker in a Covid hospital feels traumatised by what he is seeing everyday.

The message to Stay home and protect our NHS has been deliberately chosen because we do all understand how lucky we are to have it. OP we can't do anything else to help your DH just now but we are grateful

I don't understand your post - people show appreciation as they can because they KNOW NHS staff is exhausted, are high risk, haven't enough to work with, and would rather stay home!

People are trying to raise funds to help out somehow, but are mainly unsure where to direct these to ensure the money goes to what is most needed - and not in somebody's pockets.

Like most people, I have friends, relatives and neighbours who work in frontline NHS. Their families are outside clapping the loudest, their own children included...

I have no issue with the clapping - do it or don't - but I do with the hypocrisy of people who generally abuse others for doing their job - clapping now.

My feelings exactly OP. Myself and my colleagues all have the same views.

We are exhausted. We are scared that we will catch this and give it to family. We are understaffed because people are leaving, no one wants to join the NHS right now (over half of the people on our recent trust induction - out of 30 - dropped out or didn't turn up), we are under-equipped and were before this happened so it's worse and the relentless under funding has left us screwed and unable to do anything to relieve the situation.

And let me tell you "Stacy" and the rest of her cohort are under qualified and feel out of their depth just as much as the rest of us do.

I completely agree with TeaSoakedDisasterMagnet's post, we need to find a way to hold our government accountable. At the moment, we just have several parties who just don't cut it - and no other option to vote for.

Good post. Perhaps it was a nice gesture the first time. Now it seems more about giving NHS workers what time government and media want them to want (praise, a slap on the back, not all heroes wear capes!) rather than what they actually want (better pay? PPE? different government?)

I haven't seen it as glamorised and I don't find the term heroes ideal. I know people are broken and terrified and struggling. I think people just want to show some appreciation.

Hopefully this mass recognition of who the key workers really are will translate into pressure on the govt to raise wages. the PPE, yes I agree, words fail me...

Yesterday I saw a film clip of staff at a hospital (possibly in Italy) writing their names on their PPE & someone was checking that they were getting counselling to cope with the stress.

I really hope NHS staff are getting some form of counselling/therapy to help them through this.

I agree. I couldn’t do their job. I imagine so many are feeling broken. Better pay and even more-better conditions. I know what it’s like to work gruelling shifts with no breaks and I really feel for them.

I’m a left winger - never voted tory. Refused to watch queen’s speech (sorry - your family scarpered out of London at first opportunity so we aren’t in this ‘together’).

But clap for NHS. Think most of us are doing it to say thanks. Also live with a key worker - specialist nurse who has been retrained for redeployment in NHS and work with many medical staff in my HE job.