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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

NHS consultant flies to Greek island despite quarantine

407 replies

kumquat365 · 04/09/2020 10:41

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.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 04/09/2020 11:00

Meh.....presumably he has the leave to cover the quarantine? What does it matter if he does 1 week in Greece and 2 weeks in quarantine with 3 weeks AL or 1 week in Scotland and 2 weeks off work with 3 weeks of AL?

randomsabreuse · 04/09/2020 11:00

He is legally required to take at least 4 weeks of annual leave a year (possibly actually 28 days if he works bank holidays) he is probably taking 3 of them in 1 go which is probably less disruptive than 3 separate holidays...

Perhaps he wants some warm weather training, there is no comparison between a Scottish loch than Greek sea water at this time of year!

There is a reason people are required to take a minimum amount of holiday each year...

Zilla1 · 04/09/2020 11:00

How dare he before the winter pressures. 12 hours in full PPE should be a good substitute for warm weather. Depending on his speciality, he'll have had six months of unprecedented change and stress to be followed by a couple of years of catch up.

I suspect several colleagues will show PTSD based on their experiences and behaviour.

Batshitbeautycosmeticsltd · 04/09/2020 11:00

@CitizenFame

I can't wait for the day when normality returns and people go back to minding their own business. YABVU.
This! Get a life, OP, FFS 'shocked and disappointed' at someone else's perfectly logical and acceptable decision as to what he does with his life? What business is it of yours? Why the hell is it less acceptable because he's not on a family holiday? Or he has to stay here, go someplace where it rains a lot and full of midgies, just because you deem it more acceptable and you're 'amazed' that people think he's perfectly entitled to do what he wants with his own leave and life?

You've also alluded to the fact you think his decision on how he spends his time off is killing people. WTAF?!

Get a hobby or something.

BecauseWeCanCanCan · 04/09/2020 11:00

@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.

Why shouldn't he take his leave as he sees fit? I don't understand what you're saying; presumably he has factored in the quarantine bit, there are rules in the NHS on how this will be managed. So...very unreasonable of you!
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 04/09/2020 11:00

Maybe he was close to burn out and just needed to get away. It’s better he takes 4 weeks out now than 6 months off with stress during peak flu/second wave.

DDiva · 04/09/2020 11:01

Sounds like he really needs a holiday. I assume he's had any quarantine absence agreed so don't think its any of your business.

AnyFucker · 04/09/2020 11:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
kumquat365 · 04/09/2020 11:03

He's a human who has actually worked less over recent months because a lot of his work has been cancelled/ put on hold.

He is not burnt out, though he's frustrated. He would tell you himself that he's had a very nice summer here in the UK. He doesn't have a wife, he doesn't have children to look after and take into account, he doesn't even have elderly parents depending on him. He's one of the least stressed people I know.

OP posts:
Shoppingwithmother · 04/09/2020 11:04

It’s absolutely none of your business. A consultant is just a person too, it’s a job, not dedicating their whole life to something. They work hard, and have been continuing to work hard while a lot of people have been sitting at home for months.

They are not holy or anything though, and they shouldn’t be held to higher moral standards than other people. They do a hard job that is important and very much needed when they are at work. Why should that mean that they have to constant think about the provision of healthcare service when they are not at work, to the extent that they can’t have a planned holiday?

Also, a cycling and swimming holiday in September in Scotland is nowhere near the same as one on a Greek island.

YABVVU

randomsabreuse · 04/09/2020 11:05

He probably wants some warmth or sun, neither of which are going to be easily accessible this winter! Especially in Wales or Scotland

GabsAlot · 04/09/2020 11:05

maybe its a weird time to go but i gather its been approved and someone can cover him

NoPointInWednesdays · 04/09/2020 11:05

Regardless of wither he is top of his pay scale or not ( not quite sure what that has to do with it? ) is he no more entitled to a holiday than say someone who is at the bottom of their pay scale? He’s probably had to work all the way through this pandemic he deserves a rest and as long as he is prepared to quarantine when he gets back then who is anyone else to judge???

You say that he works in a dept that has the likelihood of people dying but he can’t prevent every death and why should the responsibility of the whole dept fall on his shoulders I’m sure he’s not the only person that can deal with patients?

As for the comment of him being offered a holiday home in Scotland, it sounds like he’s going for the cycling, swimming and for the weather to do both which up here in Scotland has been crap this week. It’s cold, showers and very windy not great for swimming or a bike ride tbh so he would be stuck in the holiday home or another confined space.

Sorry OP, think you need to mind your own here.

Batshitbeautycosmeticsltd · 04/09/2020 11:06

@kumquat365

He's a human who has actually worked less over recent months because a lot of his work has been cancelled/ put on hold.

He is not burnt out, though he's frustrated. He would tell you himself that he's had a very nice summer here in the UK. He doesn't have a wife, he doesn't have children to look after and take into account, he doesn't even have elderly parents depending on him. He's one of the least stressed people I know.

So fucking what?! It's NONE of your BUSINESS. He's as entitled to take a holiday wherever he pleases as anyone else. What's it to you? You sound over-invested in this man's life, is your own that inadequate? If I were your husband and found out my wife was banging on about some friend of mine, my hackles would be raised at the least.

Person Goes On Holiday. So what?

HelplessProcrastinator · 04/09/2020 11:06

So if he isn’t busy it doesn’t matter if he takes a few weeks off does it. I really can’t see what you are outraged about.

GlummyMcGlummerson · 04/09/2020 11:06

You sound like a lovely friend OP

Of he isn't even busy then what's the problem with him having to quarantine? He's barely got any work on after all!

Tomatoesneedtoripen · 04/09/2020 11:07

when he returns perhaps he can work from home? do telephone clinics?

Blue565 · 04/09/2020 11:08

He needs a holiday from you, as a friend

A permanent one

Tunnocks34 · 04/09/2020 11:09

No. If he has the holidays to facilitate the time off then leave him too it.

Personally, I would make another choice, but as a country we have to stop holding public workers to unreasonable expectations we don’t have for other workers to be honest.

nosswith · 04/09/2020 11:09

I think he has been unreasonable. Nothing you can do about it though. The addition go Greece has been warned about for over a week now, ever since the Zante flight. Enough time to cancel and choose somewhere else.

lurker101 · 04/09/2020 11:09

He doesn’t have to quarantine per the Govt. rules as a whole myriad of jobs are excluded (Key NHS workers, lorry drivers etc) so is likely taking advantage of cheaper prices/enjoying an already booked holiday. I can’t get too worked up about this, but do hope he takes appropriate precautions to prevent transmitting Covid on return - not that I think the risk is much higher in Greece than a lot of places in the U.K.

Zilla1 · 04/09/2020 11:09

I'll fix that for you, OP.

He's one of the least stressed people I know = I perceive or he tells me he's one of the least stressed people I know.

Unless you are a consultant psychiatrist seeing him professionally then you might want to consider the difference between opinion and fact.

Tomatoesneedtoripen · 04/09/2020 11:10

if his management have agreed, that is their prerogative

Haffiana · 04/09/2020 11:10

Lol. Go you, OP, eh? You tell everyone whether or not they 'deserve' a holiday and where they should or shouldn't take it.

Really, give your head a hard wobble.

ReggieCat · 04/09/2020 11:10

So only familes with children are allowed holidays?

Yes, YABVVVVVU.