To think the NHS should have sent her home

[YeahWhatevver]

BBC News - Coronavirus: Witney nurse, 84, dies from Covid-19
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-52344408

Why is an 84 year old allowed to continue to work in the NHS given all the guidelines on isolation of the vulnerable and social distancing?

I imagine if this was "84 year old dies while continuing to work at an Amazon distribution warehouse" there'd be outrage.

Employers really do have a duty of care to their employees and in this case I think that's not been maintained by the trust.

They should have 100% said thanks for being willing to work but we need you to go home and stay safe now.

You are naive if you think the NHS at the moment is operating in a way that cares about any staff safety Alternatively I am going by what friends have said when they were asked to stay working or change departments.

I've read a lot of things, I take a lot with a pinch of salt! I am on that vulnerable list and don't know what I would decide if I was a nurse, but, given what friends have said, I know I would have been asked, here, where I live, the NHS near me!

They're making pregnant nurses carry on working soo

Absolutely rubbish - everyone is being given the option in the trusts near here (I work for one, partner works in another)...

I don't see how it would be discrimination - telling someone in the vulnerable category not to work surely comes under an employer's duty of care?

I'm just not sure you can TELL someone not to. You can advise, or tell them they will be working in another area (most NHS contracts have a clause that you can be moved departments at will), but if they insist on still working in some capacity, I'm not sure legally where they would stand. Anybody know?

Why is it such a surprise that someone might want to continue in front-line work in an emergency situation, regardless of cost to their life? We expect soliders to do it, for example. Heroes, sacrificing their lives for the greater good, surely?

I'd be quite happy to die working on the front line now, largely because my life feels meaningless with no chance to have my own family. Much better than getting old alone and withering away in a nursing home. I can well imagine an 84 year old feeling similar, especially as she obviously chose to keep working way beyond retirement age.

Good on her.

@fools I am sorry you feel your life is so worthless without children?
Are you very religious? I only ask because the only person I have met that considers her life worthless without children is my devout religious Aunt.
I think it is an unusual view in modern times to consider a woman's life worthless without children.

Good for her, what a strong wonderful woman. I’d rather go down fighting at 84 rather than deteriorate to a point I can’t even look after myself at Say 94

Completely avoidable and taking advantage of people's generosity and kindness.

That's nasty @alloutoffucks

She said meaningless at this particualr time, i.e. now not worthless!

Good for her, what a strong wonderful woman. I’d rather go down fighting at 84 rather than deteriorate to a point I can’t even look after myself at Say 94

Entirely agree. As my gran, who lived to be 95, used to say “Better to wear out than rust out”.

@alloutoffucks that’s not what she said and clearly not what she meant

she was 84 and clearly of sound mind - she made a choice knowing the risks. Is it a choice I would have made? probably not but she had every right to make it

I work for the NHS and everyone who is vulnerable, including pregnant ladies have been given the choice in local trusts.

She will have been given the choice whether she continued to work or not.

Nobody is making anybody do anything because they can’t. I manage a person who lives with a shielding relative. We have offered them facilities to work from home and also options for self isolation. They have point blank refused to take either and are determined to come into work everyday. What are we meant to do? Can’t exactly frog March them off site and tell them not to return can we?!

I wasn't trying to be nasty. If you think your life is meaningless, how is this different from worthless? You think your life does not matter.

Likewise we have pregnant members of the team. They have filled out their risk assessments and we have made recommendations. If they want to go against any recommendations and work we can’t stop them.

I understand BUT she has the right to make that choice. I am sure work had those discussions with her regarding her vulnerability.

Good on her I say.

It was her choice - they did not force her to work, she wanted to and was fully aware of the risks. My 80-year-old mother is cooking food for a housebound disabled neighbour every day and serving it to her- she says she can't abandon her friend now and is prepared to take the risk. Neighbour has 4 sets of cares every day and can't move, carers have no PPE and go from house to house.

It is the individual's choice. If an organisation turned people away due to them being in the shielded group, they'd be accused of discrimination based on age or disability- which would be technically true.

And yes if employees volunteer to work but it puts their life in danger, a risk assessment should be carried out and they should be turned down.

Our occ health are doing risk assess on all referred staff. We can self refer therefore bypassing our managers. They don't inform managers unless we give permission. I don't know if that's trust dependant or if it's a national policy. We cannot be forced to go somewhere that places us at risk of aggravating pre existing conditions and that includes pregnancy. I'm being assessed soon and I'm not sure what happens if they can't reassign me as my dept has essentially been shut down. Some colleagues may be told to shield for 12 weeks, they don't want to, but it may not be their choice for much longer.

Meaningless = no purpose

Worthless = no value

I currently have no purpose in life beyond sitting and waiting, being nice to DH and the dog. Once lock down is lifted I will have to start rebuilding my business, I will have a purpose outside the house.

But I am not now worthless... nor will I be!

Meaning and worth are different @alloutoffucks. I really don’t understand why you’re taking such huge issue with this. Clearly being a parent is of enormous significance to some people or they wouldn’t be spending ££££ on IVF. And everyone will have different criteria to judge the value or meaning of their own life.

@NoMoreDickheads You are allowed to stop people working of their age puts them at more risk. The legislation is clear about this. You are also allowed to stop people working of their medical condition puts them at increased risk. This happens regularly with people who develop epilepsy. It is not discrimination.

There was a case last year in which the NHS had to make a big payout for forcing someone out when they were 86: www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/nhs-secretary-ageism-eileen-jolly-hospital-oldest-ever-royal-berkshire-hospital-reading-a8767466.html