They can shove their hand clapping and pot banging Thursdays up their arses for me, now.

[TheLadyAnneNeville]

I’m disgusted with Mr Hancock and our Govt.’s stance on there being no “likely” direct link to COVID19 deaths and lack of PPE.

They’re clearly shitting themselves at the prospect of having NOT shifted themselves soon and reacted by trying to get the equipment necessary to protect those in the frontline. As a retired nurse I’m f***g furious on my colleagues behalf.

Typical Tory “run away!” reaction.

AIBU to think that when this is over, political heads should roll? That under no circumstances should the “heroes” of this debacle, end up sitting in the Lords?

I was working at the time of the first clap, but when I saw Boris’ big fat arse out clapping for the nhs, which him and his ilk have sold off piece by piece till it’s on its knees, I thought funk it I’m not joining in that when it went for round 2 the next week.

The govt are trying to shift the blame for all the deaths onto joe public, it’s our fault for going out, it’s nhs fault for overusing ppe. Bastards the lot of them. And if one more person sends me a fucking ‘Get well soon Boris we need you’ meme I shall explode. Dickheads.

Slightly idiotic responses from many. Unless you have first hand knowledge of what the government has been doing to ensure the necessary supply arrangements are in place, you are just going to sound silly and ill informed.

It is impossible, in these circumstances, for any country to be fully prepared. We appear to be managing a lot better than most comparable countries, so I’d say credit where it’s due.

It is also v difficult to know if the deaths of any healthcare workers have any link to a lack of ppe, or even their work at all.

We appear to be managing a lot better than most comparable countries

Which countries exactly? And in what way are we doing better? Seems to me we are doing about as badly as it is possible to do.

It is also very difficult to know if the deaths of any healthcare workers have any link to ppe, or even their work at all

Sorry but this is pure fantasy.

Don't forget to use what you get responsibly as well OP, there's a shortage out there.

Don't let the clap get to your head!

"Slightly idiotic responses from many. Unless you have first hand knowledge of what the government has been doing to ensure the necessary supply arrangements are in place, you are just going to sound silly and ill informed.

It is impossible, in these circumstances, for any country to be fully prepared. We appear to be managing a lot better than most comparable countries, so I’d say credit where it’s due.

It is also v difficult to know if the deaths of any healthcare workers have any link to a lack of ppe, or even their work at all."

Slightly idiotic response if you just look at WHO figures on testing and tracing and use of PPE. But who cares about the actual facts, eh?

@GoldenKelpie... I am so sorry. I certainly didn’t mean to imply that those who were clapping for the NHS were naturally, Tory voters. I feel your indignation and can only apologise. Seriously.

@ChocolateDove... sadly, I fear you are right. And it makes me so, so angry. They should be dragged out and pilloried.

@Tanith... worked out nicely for them.

I don’t know how Raab, Gove, Johnson, Hunt, Hancock... have the gall to stand there and clap.
@riceuten... it’s not really about clapping. I think I used the wrong thread title. It’s about hypocrisy and governmental “passing of the buck”. But thank you 😊
@CrazyTimesAreOccurring. Yes. And it makes my blood boil.
@1forsorrow... I watch Channel 4 and Newsnight. Emily Maitliss has it right...it’s NOT a great leveller. I skip the 5pm brief. Thanks for the tip.
@Marpan... it’s not “lack of” that I’m disgusted with. That ship’s already sailed. Not, for me it’s the “how the fuck can we wriggle out of responsibility for the deaths so far (and those to come) from lack of PPE?” That’s my issue. They need to own up and as @TwentyViginti
said... Viral Load.

@hoodathunkit... great YouTube link. Thank you. Just shows how “we” the great “uneducated” can be herded into believing all we have to do is “believe”. Sometimes, we need to tell it like it is. Cut the spin. Tell the sodding truth. Even if the doom mangers are correct... we need to LISTEN!

I was involved as a professional in a a series of pandemic exercises in 2008-9 where the lack of PPE was expected in Central Government, even back then.

I'm afraid the conclusion is obvious. The government over the last 10 years has been utterly guilty of providing a lack of PPE.

Sadly, many lives will be lost as a result and many legal cases will ensue. The legal consequences will go on for years. We will go through inquiry after inquiry.

God knows what will happen to the economy. I fear for the future.

Just shows how “we” the great “uneducated” can be herded into believing all we have to do is “believe”

Absolutely

The cognitive capacity of all political parties is compromised by positive thinking and mindfulness initiatives.

While these things can defninitely make some people happier sone of the time they do nothing to help people engage with forward planning and risk management.

What is the point of felleing happy if you are about to be attacked by a leopard or your nation risks being harmed by a pandemic?

Then there's this kind of thing

"The mindfulness and meditation app offers free Headspace Plus subscription for NHS staff who sign up using their NHS email account."

source:

www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink/full-list-freebies-offers-nhs-4033793

Headspace is a private company that is getting a lot of government support. Whatever it might achieve in terms of, say, reducing stress, it will not make HCPs safer and may feasibly pose risks re data harvesting, as would any corporation with access to NHS data

I thought I would do a bit of googling re PPE to see why we were so bad apparently.

I started to copy and paste extracts from WHO, news outlets etc.but there were too many to put in a post. There is a global shortage whether the country was a maker like India or an importer. Not helped by 68 countries, including Germany, banning exports of PPE. Pretty much every country is in the same position from the poorest to the richest country in the world e.g;. NBC in the US reported: " A hospital nurse in Michigan says she and her colleagues have discussed bringing in bleach to make their own disinfectant wipes. A pregnant nurse in Ohio says she has no choice but to tend to critically ill patients without a specialized N95 mask. And a health care worker in Georgia has resorted to scouring local hardware stores in an effort to secure the protective masks."

So if the UK was tardy and didn't foresee this coming then so did every other country in the world.

There is an awful lot of schadenfreude on this thread.

@hoodathunkit... and it plays in nicely with the “fight”. By that, I mean Boris is a fighter, he can beat this”. That feeling that positive thinking/putting up a good “fight” can see you through. If you really want to live, you can! Really? Well, all the positive thinking under the sun ain’t gonna “cut it” if you don’t have bullets in your gun when you go over the top.

We’re being “played”. Fuckers.

@BiologyIsReal. It’s not just about being ready now. It’s the fact that austerity left us wide open to this. I remember just before Christmas Hancock was concerned about whether the NHS would cope with the “usual” winter footfall. NHS has been running on empty for years. Mental health and social care especially. It’s the fact that the Tories voted down a 1% pay rise for nurses. 1%! All that shit with Jeremy Hunt and the junior doctors.

@j712adrian... yes I agree. Years and years of them wriggling, spin and sound bites and buck passing and investment from the USA because the NHS will be on its knees. Of course, they’re NOT “selling it off... it’s just investment”. I can hear it now.

You're missing the point of the clapping.

It really pisses me off when people are upset on other people's behalf.

Just because you used to work for the NHS, doesn't give you the right to shove people's well meaning claps of thanks up their arses. How dare you make this about you.

All that shit with Jeremy Hunt and the junior doctors

And what did the Sun advocate - that he sack the lot

the right to shove people's well meaning claps of thanks up their arses

What practical help is doing that offering?

@KellyHall. Please. Read the thread. Clapping is NOT what this is about. And when you come back on, I accept your apology. You’re welcome, love.

and it plays in nicely with the “fight”. By that, I mean Boris is a fighter, he can beat this”. That feeling that positive thinking/putting up a good “fight” can see you through. If you really want to live, you can! Really? Well, all the positive thinking under the sun ain’t gonna “cut it” if you don’t have bullets in your gun when you go over the top.

exactly

Also, while I would hope that Boris recovers, the odds are that his "fight" has had a lot more back up than the fights of countless others in the ICU.

This whole thing is reminiscent of the scene in Aliens when the marines are searching for the aliens near the cooling system and they suddenly get told that they're not allowed to use ammunition against the aliens. "what are we supposed to use? Harsh Language?"

I’m sorry @riceuten, I don’t read The Sun. Same thing as my advice to @KellyHall. If you want to pick a row at least understand what the thread is about.

@hoodathunkit, yes I know that scene.

It saddens me that there are still (5 pages on) people who don’t have the capacity to understand what this thread is about. Pkeeeese, clap all you like. When it comes down to facing the virus, if I stand there in full PPE and do my jobs I have a hunch that I’d fair better in terms of my own health, than relying on BoJo clapping for me, outside No10. And I don’t need a near 30yr career in the NHS to tell me that,

This link allows you to compare countries

covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america

Honestly, the US and UK are not doing well, comparitively. My opinion - social policy that has driven rampany inequality and continues to do so. The pairing back of public services. PPE is one part, but not the whole.

And yes. Not all those clapping voted tory. But many did. Not all those clapping voted brexit. But many did. And now they are clapping and calling the docs and nurses, delivery people, cleaners shelve stackers heros. Many of the NHS workers are not UK born. If I was one of those workers, I d be cursing the people clapping. Thinking many of you voted not to give me a pay rise, voted to make it hard to live in this country and voted for a party that that has undermined workers rights for years.

If I was a cleaner, shelf stacker, delivery person.... I would side eye anyone who called me a hero. I would ask - nxt time you ve a chance dont vote for a party whose policies give me no other option than to be out and about.

@BeardyButton... excellent link. You and I are on the same wavelength. Thank you.

Yes the LadyAnne. I realise all about austerity. I am not a fan club for the government. But countries with a better GDP percentage than ours are suffering shortages too. It's pretty much worldwide.

I'm not leading the applause for the government but I still believe that there are posters taking advantage of the situation to indulge in Tory bashing. They are kicking the ball at an open goal.

I voted David Cameron in in 2010. Had never voted Tory before. I felt he and the coalition could really change things. The Big Society struck a chord. I was hopeful. Who would’ve imagined our services, all of them would be “here”. Before COVID there was much that was fucked up about our country. My Tory vote was a once in a lifetime voting mistake. I am ashamed. I will never make that mistake again.

No government would have been able to buy the amount of PPE needed in time.

American Healthcare companies hoping to buy the NHS are delighted with that decision.

American Healthcare companies hoping to buy the NHS?

Where does this idea come from?