To think my current work situation in the NHS is an absolute joke *MNHQ tweaked title at request of OP*

[MooreFoolYou]

Props to all NHS workers in the areas that were hit hard by Covid, I'm not denying for a second your hard work. What annoys me, is that hospitals in areas that haven't been affected are barely running and it's just a joke.

I work in a hospital that covers a large county, we've had 3 confirmed Covid cases. Ever. Yet almost all 'non essential' departments are still shut. Deployment has ended, as it's just not needed. Covid is not impacting us at this time. I have no work to do, as my department is shut, yet still I come in everyday. I'm literally coming in to sit in the office reading a book or even watching Netflix sometimes. There's loads of us that have nothing to do! You walk on to a ward and there's 12 nurses just twiddling their hands.

Why are non essential departments still closed when there is nothing else to occupy our time? Can the NHS really afford us to just bloody sit here? It's been two months of this! Why are patients having non emergency surgeries cancelled, why are non urgent referrals being postponed indefinitely, why are we turning people away to sit here with nothing to do?

I'm just fed up of it! I'm paying someone to look after my child whilst I do absolutely nothing. I've been told I can't work from home as the cost of getting me a laptop is too high, so I must come in everyday to just be here. With no work. Zero. What is the point!

[quote Katharinablum]@Tappering Yeah obviously I'm advocating that
There are loads of issues that need addressing,even public funding, but a randomer comes onto mumsnet claiming to watch netflix whilst on duty and immediately posters believe it.[/quote]
And what about other posters who are corroborating what the OP is saying?

I don't want to sound as if I am disrespecting the hard work that many NHS workers do. But the NHS is not a perfect service, and universal healthcare which is free at point of use does not mean it should be immune from review or criticism. Criticising it does not mean a personal attack on every good NHS worker in the service.

[quote Katharinablum]@Tappering Yeah obviously I'm advocating that
There are loads of issues that need addressing,even public funding, but a randomer comes onto mumsnet claiming to watch netflix whilst on duty and immediately posters believe it.[/quote]
Yes, because as patients we are on the receiving end and are seeing it for ourselves (not the Netflix but certainly departments being completely closed or running so slowly as to beggar belief).

Blood tests for example - drs don't order them for shots and giggles (and if they do then that needs addressing) so in what world is acceptable to have a four month waiting time for a blood test that was marked urgent but needs doing every three months ordinarily?

I'm waiting with baited breath to see how successful my up coming urgent appointment is (over the phone) and I'm excited to see what new technology exists to enable the Dr to measure my sats, examine me and listen to my heart and lungs over the phone. I mean, that's clearly not a risk to patient safety is it?

It's not the knock on effects of covid as so many people are saying. It's mismanagement pure and simple. Any other business would have to turn a profit and be answerable to the bank.

In having said that, I've been seen by GP and consultant over peak covid and more recently, so I think there's an element of chance. My outpatients surgery had been cancelled though.

We were supposed to be at 80%service by end of August And target is 90% by end of September. We’re meeting that at my hospital but it’s very challenging to ensure social distancing etc.

@Sohe There are lots of people doing a wonderful job to prop up a service which is woefully underfunded and being systematically butchered by Government. PFI was a national scandal and the treatment of NHS staff - both by managers and through the abuse they face from some of the public - is another one.

It must be really difficult to read criticism and not take it personally, but I genuinely believe that it's necessary. If the NHS won't take on board feedback then it leads to an echo chamber where everyone believes it's brilliant because people are too scared to speak out. At it's worst, it leads to patients disengaging because they've had bad experiences and don't trust that they will be treated fairly.

No institution should be free from or immune to criticism, especially not public services.

So bored of people saying NHS staff who are coming forward with this stuff aren’t being truthful.

I have an email I’d love to share where my manager suggests I make my 4 hr work last longer by “not being so quick”. It’s not a joke or a lie. This is genuinely happening. What do you think all the receptionists, appointment staff, clinical admin staff, outpatient staff etc etc are all doing right now?

@RegularHumanBartender sorry I haven't read the full thread yet but I feel for your husband (and I guess it isn't easy for you either.) My husband broke a tooth yesterday, phoned private dentist and was seen at 9.15 this morning. I don't know if you could afford it but my husband certainly thinks it was worth the money.

Most nhs staff don't believe it's brilliant though. Many of us despair of how it's managed, how patient safety is endangered by ludicrously low staffing levels which often don't take into account patient dependency for example. I agree that more funding isn't necessarily always the answer but equally cutting services to the bone isn't either and then wondering why mistakes are made.

I've had hospital appointments over the summer and I have to agree with the OP. It's been empty every time, with staff stood around bored. When I went for blood tests, the man taking my bloods told me the dept has capacity for 250 appointments per day but they are currently seeing about 10 people per day.

I'm not blaming the workers of the NHS, but this needs rectifying quickly.

My doctors surgery put a message out today to say that the guidance says they're to do phone appointments and no face to face appointments now because of the rise in cases but they've not been seeing anyone face to face throughout this anyway!

EDSGFC I can only answer with regards to the service I'm in, and those I see from here. I've seen no one, not any front line staff at all, happy with how things are. No one who cares about their patients wants those patients getting more unwell and more scared, because of delays in treatment. No one wants longer waiting lists, who would they benefit? Not patients for sure, but also not staff - those patients will still need to be treated, except they'll potentially be more unwell so harder to treat, and almost certaily more pissed off. We're on the same team.

In terms of getting bloods done, that's been a nightmare throughout - we don't want to bring patients in just for a blood test, potentially risking them being exposed to the virus and also increasing the risk to other patients who have to be at the hospital, by increasing footfall in the hospital. Ask the GPs to do it, they won't, either because they're swamped or they're refusing to see patients in person. What can we do? Nobody wants this situation, but I don't know how to fix it.

Remote appointments - again, we have to distance people and keep the space in the hospital for those who most need to be there. If one staff member or patient tests positive for covid on a cancer ward, the ward has to shut for 14 days. That means the rest of the patients who should be in during that 2 weeks have their chemo delayed, with potentially dire consequences. Can you really blame people juggling those kinds of stakes for being cautious and not wanting patients who only need bloods or clinical review to come in?

Things have been brutal, at least as far as I've seen, and staff are, in general, knackered. We're not trying to slack off, or leave people in further pain or distress, we want to crack on, but it just isn't simple.

@Katharinablum

Most nhs staff don't believe it's brilliant though. Many of us despair of how it's managed, how patient safety is endangered by ludicrously low staffing levels which often don't take into account patient dependency for example. I agree that more funding isn't necessarily always the answer but equally cutting services to the bone isn't either and then wondering why mistakes are made.

I can believe it. And I absolutely do not advocate cutting the service. It should be properly funded and centrally managed - postcode lotteries shouldn't exist, but at the same time individual trusts should be able to provide input into local and regional issues to tailor services where appropriate. E.g. the needs of a rural and relatively affluent community are likely to be quite different from those of an urban area with low economic activity.

Radiographer friend had 9 staff on and 12 appt all day .In all the years she worker for the NHS never done so little and just bought a new car off the overtime .

FYI no one is removing chairs because they hate patients, it’s infection control. Another thing to clean.

Yes @Menora I could guess that would be connected to it. Doesn't change the fact that it says 'fuck you, ill people, you'll have to stand when you feel like shit because we can't get the necessary cleaning done'. Never mind the fact that in other industries, either extra cleaning is done or it's accepted that the benefits outweigh the risks (don't see bus shelter seats, or pub seats, to give just two instances, being cleaned between each user). The solution is that the ill person can just put up and shut up. I don't think they should have to.

You need to whistleblow then if you're reading books and watching Netflix. Come to the district, we'll find plenty for you to do!

@Sohe

I have to say my experience is very different to what OP has described. I am a nurse within a very deprived area of the UK with very poor health outcomes. Our hospital was hit hard with COVID. Admin staff where redeployed where it was possible to support the clinical team. Nurses who‘s area had been closed where redeployed to COVID wards. Theatres utilised for additional ITU areas as they have all the equipment, and skilled staff required to care for a level 3 multi organ failure patients. Days have been long and hard wearing PPE from 7am til 9pm only taking it off for my two 30 minute breaks (If I can find time in the day to take them). Extra shifts picked up to support my team when staff started testing positive themselves. Being there at a time of crisis to support my community.

Posts which encourage bashing the NHS really hit a nerve I’m afraid. I have not taken any of these so call perks for the NHS, as along side the majority of my colleagues, I have not had time. Nor do I even care for them. I just want to do my job which is to nurse. Even through a global pandemic where I have been frightened, exhausted, dehydrated and distraught over loosing the battle to Covid I am still proud to be a nurse, and can hand on heart say myself and many others have done our part and want no praise for it either. All I want of for people to appreciate the FREE health service we all benefit from. I hope we never lose our health service but if we do I think people will realise what a privilege our NHS was.

I’m sorry people have had bad experiences over the past few months in regards to getting appointments and what not. But it’s is not nurses or doctors or physios or even clinic managers and hospital directors fault. We are following guidance set out by the government and various regulatory bodies. It is not the staff who decided to close clinics, GPs, dentists etc. So please do not take it out on us.

I also work in the NHS in an admin capacity and I have to say that our hospital has been as busy as ever! One thing I will say though is that the NHS is not a FREE health service - we all pay for it with our taxes

@Grannyspecsandslippers

Anyone slagging off the NHS needs to get themselves to the USA for a few years to experience how f-ed up a health service can really get. Even with amazing coverage via my work it still cost us $$$ for the most routine of things, caused endless stresses and we were the 'lucky' ones.

sure I hear you but the point is here that there can be in some areas, for some unlucky people, excess deaths due to non-treatment. you can't feel lucky if you're dead can you

Could it be that people are still choosing not to go despite having health problems because they are too frightened? Maybe the service is there and running, they simply do not to go anywhere near any medical facility.

All I want of for people to appreciate the FREE health service we all benefit from

The NHS is not and has never been free. It is free at the point of service. We all pay for the NHS. It would be good if the government and some NHS staff remembered that sometimes.

@MooreFoolYou you frequently mention Health Board - are you in Scotland or Wales? We don't have health boards in England and the NHS in the devolved nations is managed differently by the Welsh Assembly (I think) and the Scottish Govt. I think a lot of people are ,at ease replying on the basis that you are in England.

Sorry this is happening OP! I have friends who’ve said the same one in my county in northwest and one In the north east and she said she’s been like this for months. I think what people don’t realise is whilst a lot of people were clapping for the nhs some of those in the hospitals actually weren’t having very much to do. I was recently speaking to a doctor recently who had said he has dealt with more incidents from people wearing masks than anything remote to covid.

@PullTheBricksDown

FYI no one is removing chairs because they hate patients, it’s infection control. Another thing to clean.

Yes @Menora I could guess that would be connected to it. Doesn't change the fact that it says 'fuck you, ill people, you'll have to stand when you feel like shit because we can't get the necessary cleaning done'. Never mind the fact that in other industries, either extra cleaning is done or it's accepted that the benefits outweigh the risks (don't see bus shelter seats, or pub seats, to give just two instances, being cleaned between each user). The solution is that the ill person can just put up and shut up. I don't think they should have to.

I get it. But in my case even being able to get in to the waiting room would be a start! I got absolutely drenched and there was an OAP next to me who was also drenched and shivering. The weather was absolutely horrendous - the kind of day where the rain is almost horizontal and it's so blustery you can't use an umbrella.

I understand about staggering appointments to maintain distancing, but forcing people to stand outside in awful weather just seems like being awkward for the sake of it.

Sorry that was in response to @Menora

nothingcomestonothing

So what's the answer? Staff don't want to bring patients in for out patient consultations or blood tests because of the high stakes involved if Covid is transmitted but what about the risks of not seeing those patients or not doing bloods?

How is anyone making sure that my liver isn't being affected or my bone marrow being depressed because they aren't doing my bloods?

Whose ensuring that I've not got a life threatening heart or lung condition that isn't being diagnosed and treated because they are afraid to bring me in for a consultation?

The answer is to use PPE, SD, etc isn't it rather than just not do it altogether and to be honest your protestations and justifications don't make much sense given that others on here are insisting that the NHS is back to near normal and all departments running again - how are they avoiding the risks that you describe?

It's clear that there's huge variation between different parts of the country.

In my county, referrals to orthopaedic surgeons "aren't allowed" at the moment. The pathway for referral is via a musculo-skeletal service, GPs can't refer directly to surgeons. I've been royally pissed about by this service, but they finally decided that I need surgery on my knee a couple of months ago. I rang up to ask for a copy of the referral letter and was to told that they're not allowed to make any referrals.

I was very pissed off initially, but this weekend I realised that I'll probably end up seeing someone via A&E, because my knee is giving way more and more frequently. I currently have the most enormous bruise on my arse from it collapsing beneath me as I walked down the garden steps.

If it had been my head, it definitely would have required an ambulance. Or an undertaker.