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.

@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.

And so fucking what? He’s a human. He has holiday entitlement. He is taking it. Why you think it is any of your business is entirely beyond me, it is between him and his employer. I long for the days that busy bodies like you no longer feel they have a right to judge people on how they spend their time. Go and live your own life.

@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.

OP, I think you should take your revelation to the Daily Mail. I think their comments section will give you the reaction you so desperately want.

Let me summarise:

UNBELIEVABLE our taxes are paying his wages while he goes swanning off!!1!!

HE SHOULD BE FIRED how dare he do that when people are dieieing!1!!1!!

I HOPE HE CATCHES CORONAVIRUS hes so selfish bet hes a bloody immegrant too!1!1!!

He's a doctor, it's a job and he's entitled to take his annual leave like any other employee. Not sure why it's relevant to state he's at the top of his pay scale but if you know that then you'll also know that he's earning a lot less than many other people with comparable qualifications and experience.

I'm sure his department is always understaffed. Should he never take leave? Though unwise going to Greece, it's his call.
As PP have said, he'll just have to quarantine.

Please stop saying he is a friend. He clearly is not seeing how much you dislike him...

and mind your own business!

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

I really doubt that. He's an NHS consultant in an understaffed department, he personally lacks support staff, he works with people at danger of death, and he has told you - presumably because he's been so shocked by it - of people who have died unnecessarily as a result of lack of staff. Given all of that, can you really claim that everyone else you know is more stressed than he is?

Why are you not shocked and disappointed by the fact that his department is so short-staffed?

Man goes on holiday and uses up some annual leave

Shocking, OP, how very fucking dare he?

It’s his job. It is not his entire life. If his department is short staffed then the anger should be directed at those responsible for staffing levels.

He could do a myriad of things when he gets back - admin, phone / video consultations, treatment planning, training. He's quarantined, not hibernating in a cave.

The fact that he is prioritising himself and his mental health and the fact that he is one of the least stressed people you know are likely to be closely linked... taking care of oneself is a good thing. Martyring oneself, working in to the ground, is a bad thing. A lot of NHS staff feel the weight of the NHS on their shoulders - they work their leave, do unpaid overtime, and it’s utterly unsustainable. Good on him for not playing in to that trap (easier to do higher up the pay scale).

@kumquat365

I'm amazed at the responses. He could have had a cycling/swimming holiday here. In fact the pair of them had been offered someone's nice holiday home on a Scottish loch as an alternative last week. I mentioned it wasn't a family holiday to indicate that he wasn't constrained by obligations to a partner or children.

He complains each time we see him of how patchy his service is, of having clinics cancelled because of lack of support staff and so on. His speciality is one where the likelihood of people dying and he recently told of us of three deaths which ought to have been preventable. But he's made a choice that will put him out of action for another fortnight.

Well there won't be a lot of fun in a cycling / swimming holiday here at this time of the year - it's bloody freezing where I am in Scotland right now!

But you aren't much of a "friend" are you, posting his business up here and criticising him to all and sundry. I presume that you weren't brave enough to tell him to his face what you think of him and his holiday?

Everyone is entitled to a holiday, and they make their own choices. It isn't as if all "preventable" deaths are his personal responsibility. And not are shortages in NHS staff - you'll need to go elsewhere to find the blame for staff shortages. Many staff aren't even able to properly treat people because of the pandemic, and are being restricted to video or telephone appointments only.

You really are a nasty piece of work, and I hope he raises what a bad "friend" you are.

Just to really really piss you off..... As far as I know he doesn't even have to quarantine when he gets back ( according to the exemptions in government guidelines). So he could even just go back to work on his return unless his employer has a different policy.

Of course you are being very unreasonable... And you're not really his "friend" are you?

What I do know is that many many clinicians whether front line or not are making steps to reduce their working hours or move away from medicine asap ( so downsizing, reducing school fees etc). The clapping really meant fuck all and the NHS is a completely shit organisation to work for.

@Houndabouttown

He’ll either work from home or have to take unpaid leave / annual leave depending on what his job is. I don’t think it’s anyone else’s business!

Except for all the patients who'll need their clinic appointments cancelled during his unplanned absence due to 2 weeks quarantine and all the support staff (also overworked) who will have to re-book and send new appointment letters out for all those patients.

Maybe even the patients who will have their operations cancelled (if he does ops).

It's not just a holiday - it's 2 weeks on unplanned absence that has knock on effects on other people. If he'd booked 4 weeks off, that's fine, it will have been planned for. This is different.

I'm not stressed either. I worked in a customer facing role right through lockdown and am now entitled to take holiday. Damn right I'm going to, even though I might not 'need' it to destress.

And if I could find someone to mind the dog, I would certainly go to Greece and grab some late sunshine.

You aren't putting forward much of an argument, OP. NHS consultant, who isn't overworked (so won't be missed, presumably, if he quarantines) decides on Greece over Scotland.

It'll never go to a series.

a consultant i know went to France and had to quarantine. Doctors are allowed time off you know!

Well he's certainly not your friend is he? And this is so outing that it will be picked up. Well done.

I give it to the end of the day before the DM are all over this

@Tenner

if he knows he has to quarantine then I guess the 14 day quarantine will have been factored in for his annual leave. On that basis I think YABU. Can he not spend his annual leave as he likes?

That.

Your friend foregoing a holiday will not solve the problem of the shortage of doctors in his field. If he uses leave for his quarantine period , so what? You have no idea if he if he is feeling over stretched, or pressured because of staff shortages. You sound so judgemental. It really is none of your business. You should drop him as a friend. He will be well rid of somebody who thinks badly of him.

except for all the patients who'll need their clinic appointments cancelled during his unplanned absence due to 2 weeks quarantine and all the support staff (also overworked) who will have to re-book and send new appointment letters out for all those patients

really depends on his speciality doesnt it - quite possible clinics are phone based anyway now so he might still be able to do it, if not some specialities will get a locum in, or another doctor will step in.

also the support staff may be the very opposite of overworked, again depending on speciality because some depts have essentially shut down.

Yep, clearly not a friend, just someone you know and are envious of....

@CitizenFame

I can't wait for the day when normality returns and people go back to minding their own business. YABVU.

This^.

Also, swimming in a Scottish loch is hardly the same as swimming in the sea in Greece! I appreciate that Scotland too is lovely and that getting anywhere somewhere is better than not going away, but the two destinations are in no way comparable from a weather POV.

MYOB OP!

While I think no one should be going on holiday overseas currently I think it is important to recognise that it is in no way this mans fault that the NHS is understaffed and that actually it is not his problem. Everyone needs a break and will be more productive if they have one. Even us single childless losers 🙄

I actually think YANBU to be disappointed in his priorities. My partner and I work in the NHS and cancelled all holidays abroad as it seems irresponsible to go knowing that we may need to quaratine on return. Depending on when you booked, the NHS will pay you to sit at home. I couldn't do that in good conscience. We changed to 5 nights somewhere in Scotland and guess what? It was lovely.

YABU however to bring up the fact he's unmarried, child-free etc. Irrelevant.

YABVU