NHS consultant flies to Greek island despite quarantine

[kumquat365]

Name change for this. DH and I have a friend who is an NHS consultant at the top of the pay scale whose service is short-staffed and has spoken to us about the unnecessary deaths caused by lack of cover in his speciality.

He's a keen swimmer and cyclist and booked to go on an activity-style holiday with a friend. He's not married and has no family: this wasn't a family holiday. They were booked to go to an upmarket activity holiday centre on a Greek island that in the last few days has been put on the quarantine list by both Scotland and Wales. The flight was due to depart late yesterday afternoon. Our friend's mate, who is a medic based in England, decided not to risk it and dropped out. Our friend, who works in one of the countries that had declared a 14-day quarantine on return, went in the knowledge he'd have to quarantine on return.

AIBU to feel shocked and disappointed? He's complained so much about shortages of staff in his specialism and he's just taken a decision that will mean it's even worse.

FaffingforEngland,

Oh and to the OP, I hope your friend reads your post and works out who you are. Because I somehow doubt you've dared to say it to his face.

I've already told him I think he's made a poor choice. And what's more so have several people working in the NHS.

I love the NHS and know quite a few people who work in it, from consultants to cleaners. And while some of them have been working ridiculous hours and making all kinds of personal sacrifices in order to get through the Covid crisis, you're being disingenuous at the very least to promote the idea that everyone has had the same workload.

He's one of the least stressed people I know.

You really can't know this. Just because he doesn't have things tgat cause you stress, doesn't mean that he has things in his life that causes him stress.

My dad would say stuff like that, that I was so easy going, happy person while I was being treated for suicidal depression. You don't know what goes on in other peoples heads

You sound very judgmental. Maybe go find some empathy.

I don't think I'd have an issue with this, but I'm surprised at the MN response.

Recently the overall tone on these threads had been people are stupid and selfish to go abroad but since he's NHS it seems he gets a free pass!

Do you think that because he works for the NHS that we own him somehow?
Do you not think that he is and will continue to serve his community regardless of his personal life?

This post smacks of envy and bitterness. The fact that you mention his grade indicating large salary is very telling.

I thought you were going to post that he would be breaching the quarantine rules upon return ... then I could see your problem as that would be very irresponsible.

It is also worth noting that as a consultant their will be lots of very important work that he will be able to do while at home for 2 weeks.

@kumquat365

It is everyone's job to have take some responsibility and not to go to places that require quarantine that will leave others struggling.

This, really. He didn't have to go to Greece yesterday. He could, like his mate, have decided to make alternative arrangements but he didn't.

Let's just hope that all the 'he's within his rights' lot here don't have appointments at his clinic over the next few weeks. He can't really do what he needs to without seeing most of his patients, particularly those who are in more immediate need of treatment.

For those who picture him as some burnt-out wraith, he had three weeks in Thailand over Christmas and New Year and has been sailing in the Med for at least a week this summer. He's also by his own account had more time available to go cycling than any other spring/summer. I mentioned the lack of family and his pay scale so that it was clear there was no outside pressure on him to go and that he could afford to cancel if need be.

We are all paying this man's salary. I employ people. I would expect better judgment from an employee of mine.

I imagine most of us would expect less cheek and more sense from an employer than you display here.

Gosh, I hope he has a brilliant holiday. Poor man. It's not his job to prop up his speciality single-handed.
He's entitled to annual leave. Remember that the numbers required to get on the quarantine list are low. He faced far more chance of catching Covid in his normal medical setting and socialising with his colleagues, than he will on a bicycle up a Greek mountain. How do you not see the irony of what you are saying??
You are literally saying "He should stay and work here because he won't catch Coronavirus in Scotland, or in his workplace." Hmmm OK then.
You are very unreasonable and you sound a bit deranged to even post this.

@AnneElliott for me the difference is, rightly or wrongly, he is exempt from any quarantine rules if it was to be imposed. Therefore in my mind if he goes and quarantine is imposed he’s not going to be asking for “special treatment” from his employer unlike a lot of the people that have went on holiday and then complained to the media about quarantining

He actually sounds sensible to me, going now rather than late autumn/winter.

You sound really bitter OP.

Wow, I am amazed at the responses on this thread - there really is a huge cultural difference between the UK and Ireland - we would all agree with the OP!!

What the entire Irish nation all think exactly the same
Blimey

And since when do people have to go to Greece for some R and R?

It is the whole travel the globe attitude that has gotten us to where we are with Covid (and all the upcoming global pandemics) , not to mention climate change and pollution of the planet.

@kumquat365

It is everyone's job to have take some responsibility and not to go to places that require quarantine that will leave others struggling.

This, really. He didn't have to go to Greece yesterday. He could, like his mate, have decided to make alternative arrangements but he didn't.

Let's just hope that all the 'he's within his rights' lot here don't have appointments at his clinic over the next few weeks. He can't really do what he needs to without seeing most of his patients, particularly those who are in more immediate need of treatment.

For those who picture him as some burnt-out wraith, he had three weeks in Thailand over Christmas and New Year and has been sailing in the Med for at least a week this summer. He's also by his own account had more time available to go cycling than any other spring/summer. I mentioned the lack of family and his pay scale so that it was clear there was no outside pressure on him to go and that he could afford to cancel if need be.

We are all paying this man's salary. I employ people. I would expect better judgment from an employee of mine.

If you say he’s your friend, I’d hate to be your enemy.

@Hobnobswantshernameback

What the entire Irish nation all think exactly the same Blimey

Well we made a minister resign for breaking advice last week so I would say we are pretty much of one opinion on this.

@Annasgirl

Wow, I am amazed at the responses on this thread - there really is a huge cultural difference between the UK and Ireland - we would all agree with the OP!!

All of you? I didn’t realise Ireland had herd thinking.

This is a difficult one especially because as someone who is working on the front line this man deserves a holiday. NHS are preparing for a second wave Oct/Nov so if he doesn't take a holiday now. Then he won't get too.

The holiday was obviously booked before the quarantine so I think YABU.

You can’t argue it both ways OP: he’s either incredibly under pressure and run off his feet or he’s less under pressure than he’s ever been as a lot of his work has been cancelled.

'Recently the overall tone on these threads had been people are stupid and selfish to go abroad but since he's NHS it seems he gets a free pass!'

Yes it's fascinating isn't it. I'll have to remember on the next 'cf goes abroad knowing fine well they had to quarantine, so I'm doing 12hr shifts to cover!' thread, to ask, well..is he a doctor? because if so, that's ok.

lol.

he's not a slave.

His employer may well be delighted. It's always tricky to schedule everyone's annual leave, and you tend to get a mad rush at the end of the leave year (usually either December or March), which are the busiest times of the year. Covid has made this much worse because lots of staff postponed leave to be available to work during the worst of it.

I am encouraging my team to take staff at the moment, and would be happy to be flexible around quarantine, if it meant someone using up leave now, not in the winter.

So one minister resigning means the whole nation thinks the same
Not sure you quite understand politics

He works for the NHS, he isn’t owned by the NHS. Not for that matter is he owned by the general public.

YABVVU.

YABVU. It’s irrelevant his sector is short staffed; he’s as entitled to a break as anyone else. He’s also entitled to choose where to have that break.

Again, the fact he doesn’t have a wife and children is irrelevant too, and you sure no idea whether or not he’s stressed.