Should NHS staff go ahead in queues?

[Supermummy4]

I have only done a few times, and got some evil looks from the others queuing. I was knackered and needed some essentials and needed to pick my children up from school as I have hardly seen them so thought 'just this once, again'-might not do it again!
It sort of felt like all the clapping in the world and rainbows doesn't mean much in the real world, but I might be a bit more careful about waving my lanyard around in the future (and yes, i'm core ward NHS staff working on covid wards fwiw).
Any thoughts from others very welcome.

When this all first kicked off, I think it was fair to offer a priority for the NHS staff as many of them worked long hours under huge pressure whilst shops were being cleaned out by the panic buyers. But now, I feel it should be phased out.

I have a relative who is semi-retired, still works two days a week in hospital, normal day shifts and nothing to do with Covid. But she proudly tells us how she loves the fact she can just flash her NHS card and walk straight in pass the queues. These are on her day offs, no young children to care for, someone who has all the time in the world to queue.

When there's a kind gesture, there's always someone to take the piss out of it.

At the beginning, yes. Not now. The NHS is not ‘overwhelmed’ now. I know this for a fact, my DH is a hospital consultant.

I think it was fair enough when everybody was off work and had time to queue all day.
Now a lot of people are back and don't have the time to queue then the privilege should be scaled back to dedicate hours but not queue jumping.
I am a TA and have been in school with keyworker children all the way through, I went shopping in the evenings when there was less of a queue and nevermind people using the nhs/caseworker queue jump. Now when I go in the evening a lot of people are queuing so I wonder if daytime is quieter and shift workers can shop in the day with smaller queues.

Front line nhs staff are fine to jump the queue, but I’ve seen a rash of uniforms being donned at the supermarkets, and if you look closely they’re either dental nurses or veterinarian nurses etc. I even saw a podiatrist!!

Now that shops are back to they normal stock levels bar one or two items I don’t think that there should be special hours or queues.

I’ve been working all through this time and all though I’m not nhs staff I’ve been working very long hours including weekends. Without me doing my role none of the hospitals (nhs and private), care homes, police stations and prisons would have had any food/products to make food for the people staying in them and for the staff to have any food while on duty. Not to mention the health risks if we could collect the food waste and waste cooking oil. When it first started the shops was opening later and closing earlier so most days I missed the shops opening times and had to ask my elderly parents who are over 70 to get some bits and drive 40 mins each way to collect it. I think it should’ve been open to all key workers providing they had a letter from they employers confirming this.

No. I think that everyone should take their turn as normal now.

And the wearing of uniforms in supermarkets should be discouraged.

feebeecat

You have misrepresented my question, I don't know if this was intentional, or if you misread what I wrote, perhaps it was, as I didn't use the word 'excuse'.

I asked if you believed that ALL NHS staff should be prioritised in a queue, above the elderly and those with disabilities, because that is what your posts seem to imply.

As I said in my previous post, I believe that queues should be prioritised on need, whether that be someone working long shifts on a busy ward or someone who has difficulties accessing the shops.

I don't know why you keep on bringing up clapping? What does that have to do with anything?

Did it once on way home from night shift, was due back in that night also. Needed a few essential s and was beyond exhausted. ( Yes proper front line senior nurse). The death stares I got mean I wouldn't do it again. Yep the clapping and rainbows meant nothing in the real world

Oh and wearing a uniform in a shop is completely unexaptable .

Fuck no.

It's not fair. It's arbitrary.

Should an NHS secretary working 9-5 in administration go before (say) an out of hours plumber working on boiler safety/failure jobs be higher priority..? No? Well the idea of priorities based on who you work for is ridiculous!

Could be an unemployed person itching to get home to check on an elderly relative who has to wait longer due to flashing that NHS lanyard. It's not on.

I’m a key worker in both of my jobs and don’t have priority in any queue. Do you know I don’t mind a nurse/midwife/doctor/hca having priority access those that have actually been working with people and crappy shifts. But I have to be honest and say I do resent that nhs office workers can use the access as well and the free coffee etc.

I am the only driver in our house and the only person still working. I work at school all day and then often have to queue to get the weekly food shop on my way home. I then work Saturday and Sunday mornings in a supermarket. But because I work there when the staff shopping hours are on I don’t get easy access then either. Plus can’t afford to shop at this supermarket every week.

So while I understand why some people would resent you using it as a front kind worker I don’t resent you using it.

@Gremlinpoop

Did it once on way home from night shift, was due back in that night also. Needed a few essential s and was beyond exhausted. ( Yes proper front line senior nurse). The death stares I got mean I wouldn't do it again. Yep the clapping and rainbows meant nothing in the real world

Quite honestly if you need a visible fanfare in order to feel appreciated you’re in the wrong job.

Nobody has even insinuated they aren’t grateful for the work keyworkers do, but rather that a level playing field is best for everyone. We all have reasons for needing to skip the queue.

I think it was fair enough when everybody was off work and had time to queue all day.

This was a fictional time that didn't exist. Look at the stats. The majority of the UK workforce continued to work throughout lockdown, often juggling childcare responsibilities or shopping for elderly relatives at the same time.

Yes, some workers in some industries were/are furloughed, but "everyone being off work and having loads of time on their hands" never actually happened

@feebeecat
”I suppose there are always going to be a few who may not be frontline/entitled, (there usually are) but the others? I’m not going to begrudge them. I’ve just read a few posts on here recently about how it’s not fair anymore, but I didn’t think we were quite out of the woods yet? We might need these people to risk their lives for us again yet 🤷‍♀️”

If you think there are only a few who may not be frontline you are sadly wrong. This should read there are only a few that are. Only a small percentage of NHS staff actually have been working with Covid 19 patients. These staff deserve everything that has been offered. Ironically these are the ones who (mostly) don’t queue jump and just want to get on with their jobs without all this fuss!

My sister is an NHS employee. She is on maternity leave and has not put a foot inside the hospital she works at, since this started. Yet she is the one who uses nhs supermarket times and queue jumps. She uses the discount card to get 10% off In Morrisons and now gets shopping delivered as Morrisons have given free anytime delivery. She isn’t the only one. Her best friend works in a cottage hospital, which is miles from any hospital which may have Covid patients! She too looks for any advantages or freebies she can get.

My mil is in a care home. Her carers have been excellent and looked after her so well, when none of us can visit! Some carers even use their own phones, to FaceTime relatives, so they can see and speak to them. What about some recognition for them? Many people think that nhs staff are poorly paid, but they aren’t in comparison to these carers, many of whom are who are on minimum wage, with far worse working conditions, no enhancements for working unsocial hours and no recognition for the job they are doing.

Then, to stick the knife in further, they have to wait outside until the nhs priority hour is over, before they are allowed in to get their “full price” shopping!

I do not need a fanfare thank you, personally I hate the clapping etc and have been an NHS nurse for over 20 years without it! But despite my skills knowledge and stamina I'm in the wrong job???
But you try working a very active 13 hour nightshift where you do not stop once then find a massive line around a carpark just to get milk on your way home and you have to do it all again the following night, at at one point we were very much taking massive risks at. That is why some staff needed to jump the very long lines. As I said I did it once when I was on my knees and will not again.
Also I do not think it should ever have been open to everyone.

Some carers even use their own phones, to FaceTime relatives, so they can see and speak to them.

We had this with my elderly aunt, aside from it being lovely to see her, it demonstrated how much staff cared about their residents. I tear up thinking about it!

We all have a busy schedule this does not entitle a to push in the que FFS.

Save your FFS for the supermarkets who offer it then, it's hardly "pushing" on if it's the shops policy.

@Jingstohang

Some carers even use their own phones, to FaceTime relatives, so they can see and speak to them.

We had this with my elderly aunt, aside from it being lovely to see her, it demonstrated how much staff cared about their residents. I tear up thinking about it!

I was really emotional too, to be able to see mil on her 91st birthday! It has been so hard for the carers too, losing residents (who they treat like family), to this Virus. It does make me so annoyed, that they haven’t received the recognition they deserve.

Squashedspring that wasn’t to you, you were not the person who used the word excuses.

I will say, once again (whether you clapped/covered yourselves in rainbows whatever) - several weeks ago we were glad of these people, if you find it necessary to get into such a flap about such a relatively small thing in the whole scheme of it, then, so be it. I did/do think it’s quite sad is all.

Again, that is not specific to you Squashedspring but to all the apparent eye-rolling,death stare people who feel it necessary to treat other human beings thus.

May all your shopping queues be forever tiny.

@ReceptacleForTheRespectable

I think it was fair enough when everybody was off work and had time to queue all day.

This was a fictional time that didn't exist. Look at the stats. The majority of the UK workforce continued to work throughout lockdown, often juggling childcare responsibilities or shopping for elderly relatives at the same time.

Yes, some workers in some industries were/are furloughed, but "everyone being off work and having loads of time on their hands" never actually happened

I am only going on what I read in news. Both me and DH were in work the whole way through with the kids in keyworker care.

I don't think you should be able to jump queues.
Everyone else queues why shouldn't you

Not everyone is on furlough some of us like you have been working non stop too .

The covid wards also were never full.....

I think it was fair enough when everybody was off work and had time to queue all day.

It has never been the case that everybody was off work. At peak 25% of the workforce was furloughed. That leaves 75% working, often working longer hours to cover the work done by furloughed colleagues.

Working long hours while taking care of children is hard enough, without people behaving like you've been on holiday all year.

Many workers outside the NHS have been doing crucial work -undertakers, street cleaners, delivery workers, scientific researchers working on Covid, those working in the utility industries,...

But back to the OP I don't think anyone would object to an NHS worker skipping queues after a long shift. It's a shame if NHS workers use this when they don't really need it but presumably this is just a tiny fraction of cases.

Nhs worker here and never really had to queue anyway I always just go at quiet times

I'm not surprised you feel embarrassed. There could be so many people in the queue you just jumped with any number of lives/jobs/illness/caring responsibility situations. All desperate to just get home.

I am only going on what I read in news.

The same news that reported on the percentage of people furloughed? (Which was 25% at its height.)