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.

Maybe speak to the government about why his service is badly under staffed. He is still entitled to leave like anyone even if this leaves it even more short staffed this could of been years of being under funded and not recruiting staff.

Also as a child free person we still get stressful times too! Life isn’t all about children or elderly parents.

Your attitude epitomizes its self serving contempt for the people it is meant to serve

Tell you what, Luv. Work 20 years for the NHS, including years of 100+ hours a week as a junior doctor. Work in inner city A&Es and urgent care centres day and night, through weekends and bank holidays, dealing with vulnerable patients, violent patients, abusive patients. Then you can lecture me about service. Until then, do one.

@theDudesmummy

BTW I am also a medical consultant and I am very much seeing patients (remotely).

...once again for the people in the back...

SOME DOCTORS CAN WORK FROM HOME!

@hibbledibble exactly. I wanted to retrain as a radiographer. I meet all entry requirements for the Bsc, but it would cost me 30k plus travel and childcare, and apparently the starting salary is 23k...so I literally can't afford to work for the NHS.

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

Tell you what, your attitude sucks. Nobody needs to feel grateful to you. I certainly don't.

@positivelynegative

The NHS is failing its patients. And it is run for its employees

that last sentence is one of the most laughable things I've ever read on here.

@BovaryX

I struggle to believe the exact same issues haven’t happened world wide

That shows your ignorance about the standard of functioning health care in the developed world. It is really bizarre, this refusal to acknowledge that the NHS dysfunction isn't replicated elsewhere.

What? So poor, people nationwide in the USA don’t regularly struggle to access good healthcare? The USPS isn’t currently being used as a political pawn/ scapegoat by the insane president which is having knock on effects on medication delivery for disabled people and rural communities?

I’m not ignorant, I am realistic about the difficulties faced by my fellow healthcare workers worldwide.

You appear to only cling to statements that fit your agenda and narrative. You’re saying that the several people replying to this thread and saying the nhs is not closed are lying, because otherwise the person in your beloved article is lying. You’ve said in the past that people in the USA who say they cannot access healthcare because it is prohibitively expensive are lying. You can’t have it both ways when someone describes something to you and you don’t like it.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'It's not the job of individual consultants to solve the problem of a decade of under investment in the health service. '

It is everyone's job to have take some responsibility and not to go to places that require quarantine that will leave others struggling. Whether that is in the nhs or costa it doesn't matter. Unless he's booked a month off to cover the quarantine but it reads like he's happily leaving patients and colleagues in the lurch.

You seem absolutely determined not to get it.

As long as practitioners continue give in to this sort emotional blackmail and take upon themselves a responsibility which is that of those in charge of NHS resourcing, the NHS will continue to be under resourced.

Currently on a Greek island myself and its doing wonders for my mental health and stress levels and i have a relatively low stress job.

I can't imagine how stressful these times have been for for doctors and staff in the medical world.
Whether he has children or not and whether you think his life is stress free,the man is entitled to a break of his choice and he's not breaking the law. Yabu

*Your attitude epitomizes its self serving contempt for the people it is meant to serve

Tell you what, Luv. Work 20 years for the NHS, including years of 100+ hours a week as a junior doctor. Work in inner city A&Es and urgent care centres day and night, through weekends and bank holidays, dealing with vulnerable patients, violent patients, abusive patients. Then you can lecture me about service. Until then, do one.*

Yes to this 100 time over (except I have worked for the NHS for 32 years)

OP: YABVU and you are not his friend. He might be your friend, but you are not his. Butt out. Or wish him a nice relaxing holiday.

I'd bet good money the OP is one of THOSE people I've worked with that are incredulous and outraged that I, someone without children books leave during the school holidays

MONSTER! the entire world must only revolve around people with young children. That is the law.

[quote BovaryX]@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

Tell you what, your attitude sucks. Nobody needs to feel grateful to you. I certainly don't.[/quote]
As you would know, if you worked in the NHS, no HCW is stupid enough to expect gratitude from the unpleasant, entitled minority.

Fortunately, most of my patients are great. I will never please people like you. I am just sad that the ignorance and malice of people like you may end up depriving patients of free-at-the-point-of-access healthcare.

Unless he's booked a month off to cover the quarantine but it reads like he's happily leaving patients and colleagues in the lurch.

Are you wilfully ignoring all the posts that have told you he will very likely be working from home during the quarantine period and not have to see patients face to face because it's not always necessary to be in the same physical location?

Going on leave is now "leaving your collagues in the lurch"?
Dear God.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'It's not the job of individual consultants to solve the problem of a decade of under investment in the health service. '

It is everyone's job to have take some responsibility and not to go to places that require quarantine that will leave others struggling. Whether that is in the nhs or costa it doesn't matter. Unless he's booked a month off to cover the quarantine but it reads like he's happily leaving patients and colleagues in the lurch.

It reads like the OP hasn't got a clue what he's doing on return, but she made something up and you were daft enough to accept it at face value.

It's none of your business and you're a shitty friend to be moaning about it to strangers. Is your job half as stressful?

He has annual leave, I suspect like many he has quite a lot still to use so taking 3 weeks off isn't a problem. A well rested dr is a good thing plus he may have paperwork and virtual consultations he can do from home

You appear to only cling to statements that fit your agenda and narrative

Do you have access to a mirror? The NHS is a lethal failure. It is not replicated by any other country on the planet. Its rhetoric and reality are so far apart, it's laughable. But not much else about it is remotely funny. Health insurance plays a role in functioning healthcare systems. In Germany, the Mayor is responsible for the local hospital and voters can demonstrate their displeasure if there is bad management by hitting the eject button. In the UK, lethal incompetence and scandal after scandal has zero impact upon the career bureacrats in the world's fifth largest employer. The only option isn't the US system. But the cheerleaders of the NHS pretend it is. The NHS isn't the envy of the world. And its performance during Covid is a national disgrace.

Doctors are not the reason the NHS is understaffed. Poor working conditions and pay, plus constant devaluation of staff is the reason. Plus the scrapping of the NHS study bursary.

The fact the NHS can't hire enough people is not his fault. Is he supposed to forego all his leave because we can't either pay enough or organise visas for the NHS staff we need?

Everyone is blaming doctors/ nurses/ the NHS as a whole.

Why is no-one calling out the politicians who have deliberately underfunded and interfered in the management of what was (despite what government claimed) was actually a very economic and efficient service?

And us - the patients- who demand so much of it? And by that, I don't mean treatments (though there are many things we could do for ourselves that we expect the NHS to sort out eg diet and exercise), but demanding things like all day visiting, which makes caring for patients more difficult; TVs at every bed etc. I've seen people in A&E with their entire families, for minor injuries/conditions which they have ignored for days then decided they wanted sorted out - and so take over all of the seats in the waiting area, and let their kids run about all over the place screeching and causing havoc (these are always the ones who complain that someone has arrived after them and been seen before them - never mind that the latecomer has had a work accident and lost three fingers, while they have minor rash. And through it all the staff are expected to behave with superhuman patience and dedication - and they almost always do!

God, leave him alone.

How about you train in his specialism and take up the slack if you're so bothered.

@BovaryX

You appear to only cling to statements that fit your agenda and narrative

Do you have access to a mirror? The NHS is a lethal failure. It is not replicated by any other country on the planet. Its rhetoric and reality are so far apart, it's laughable. But not much else about it is remotely funny. Health insurance plays a role in functioning healthcare systems. In Germany, the Mayor is responsible for the local hospital and voters can demonstrate their displeasure if there is bad management by hitting the eject button. In the UK, lethal incompetence and scandal after scandal has zero impact upon the career bureacrats in the world's fifth largest employer. The only option isn't the US system. But the cheerleaders of the NHS pretend it is. The NHS isn't the envy of the world. And its performance during Covid is a national disgrace.

A lethal failure? I wondered why I was dead 💀

Is he even in Scotland / Wales? There is no quarantine requirement for England.

Having a lovely time on holiday is Greece

"He's not married and has no family: this wasn't a family holiday"
Are you saying single or childless people are not entitled to a holiday?

Tea
www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/22/nhs-maternity-scandal-toxic-mentality

www.independent.co.uk/voices/morecombe-bay-scandal-nhs-baby-shrewsbury-telford-death-a9211346.html