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!

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.

What a load of balls! 😂

Many of the complaints people have re the nhs aren’t specifically to do with how it’s funded but due to piss poor management, poor decision making by gps and consultants, practice managers etc and poor communication.
The manager tacitly encouraging OP to do nothing on full pay clearly isn’t doing a good job. Why couldn’t op be deployed elsewhere to provide skills in areas that are busy ? Who knows, we don’t know the full story but op seems happy with the way things are.
My concern re nhs funding is that the current Tory cabal in power are in thrall of the US, many have close connections with American health care providers. Such is their antipathy towards anything european I doubt we will get a european insurance style health service, that’s my fear more than anything but their success in persuading huge swathes of the country that a no deal Brexit is advantageous makes me think that’s what we’ll end up with

EDSGFC People in the NHS are having to make decisions on what to do that will cause the least harm to the least number of people. Balancing risks that no one fully understands. Are they all coming to the same conclusion of what to do for the best? No. Will it turn out when we know more that some were being over cautious and some a bit too optimistic? Almost certainly. I get that when you are waiting for treatment you need, you just want it done - I've been waiting for a surgery which was due in April, no idea when I'll have it.

It's like schools, I resent that my DCs school didn't get year 6 back in June when the school across the road did, but the people making that decision weighed the evidence and came to different conclusions. I can only say from what I've seen, that these decisions are not being made lightly, there might be some taking the easiest route for them to the detriment of patients, but I haven't seen that.

I work in a large hospital in the SW. We have been working at normal capacity for the last few months. Outpatient clinics are running as normal, all be it in a modified way (video consultations where physical examination is not required for example). Theatres are running at full capacity, and the wards are running on a negative bed state.

So no, not the norm.

@thecatsthecats

I personally can't believe that someone had the gall to put the letter nagging me about my "missed" smear test in the post. I can't get an appointment for one.

I have been to the vets (sadly) six times in the past two months. They were extremely compassionate and allowed my husband and I to both say goodbye to our cats.

I can have a haircut. Yet I can't have a nurse stick a speculum up a bit of me that only coughs as a party trick.

Sorry haven't RTFT but I just booked a smear test following my letter about a missed smear... not sure where you are in the country but may be worth phoning your docs again...?

I think things are slowly picking up. I work in a GP surgery and deal with the referrals. For several months no referrals apart from urgent 2ww cancer ones, were made. Now they are, but there will be long waiting lists. All the NHS staff are just as worried by the delays as patients are; it affects us too and no one wants patients to suffer. But if you are feeling that your condition is worsening please, please let the hospital or your GP know. They cannot wave a magic want, but will be willing to try!

'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'

Ah, the old 'facemask ligature' I take it.

I'm awaiting further assessment having blood tested positive for coeliac disease. My appointment has been cancelled twice and is now on hold indefinitely. Meanwhile I have problems absorbing iron (on tablets luckily), probable B12 issues and the runs several times a week while trying to carry on with my life. So I'm not particularly pleased about the state of things currently.

Absolutely agree with you and the potential fallout from this is terrifying. My sister's melanoma diagnosis was delayed by 4 months because she was unable to see someone face to face - pictures were taken and sent to which ever specialist looks at these things but deemed by photographs that it was not anything to worry about (despite her GP being very concerned about it) so removal was delayed for 4 months. It has just been confirmed it was indeed skin cancer and now requires further treatment

@regularHumanBartender

Your own dentist is responsible for your DHs care. They should not refuse to see him, and Im really suprised they have as whilst not all dentists are seeing routine patients they should be seeing facial swellings

If he has a spreading facial swelling or is at risk of sepsis A&E will treat that, it needs draining.

I work across 3 different hospitals and we are seeing clinics as normal, only telephone consultations for patients who request them. We are mad busy catching up with our waiting lists. None of our a&es are empty anymore, hospital beds are completely full in my main hospital.

Im reallt suprised you had only 3 covid patients nd you have an a&e? Are you sure you are right with that? Seems really unlikely

What incidents can possibly be caused by masks?!

@SpuriouserAndSpuriouser

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.

What a load of balls! 😂

I spat my tea out laughing at such transparent bullshit. 🤣

@DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon

What incidents can possibly be caused by masks?!

God. Yes. Enquiring minds need to know. 😂👍

Maybe they tripped over a stray mask or twanged it on their face, causing an injury? 😂

Maybe a chin hammock suddenly sprang up and caused a concussion? 😂😂

I reckon the mask slipped and rode up, covering their eyes so they couldn’t see where they were going and they walked into a lamp post. Tragic really.

I keep hearing this.

So far since beginning of July my son has had an x ray at local hospital.

I'm having infrasound at city hospital referred there because my local one so backed up as up and running again.

Ds has appointment at other City hospital in 6 weeks.

Know 3 people who have had non emergency surgery - 2 are hysterectomies. They ask you to isolate for 14 days and test a few days before in proper set up drive through for OPs.

I've seen my GP for smear and IUD fitted.

Dentist has said DS check up can be done now (not made appointment though!)

I don't understand why some areas are still non functional? It must be decisions at management level because if governmental puts wouldn't be starting to run at a fuller capacity. Although I don't think it's at full but that's understandable with extra cleaning etc needed.

@SpuriouserAndSpuriouser

So you're not clinical staff? How can you possible make these sweeping statements when you're not even patient facing?

If your department is shut down that sounds like bad management but I very much doubt the clinical staff are sitting around watching Netflix

I wonder how many queues the OP ‘jumped’, how many freebies she harvested, and how many Tik Tok videos she danced in whilst posting stuff on social media about being a ‘front line’ key worker? Probably lapped up the clapping too?

Threads like these completely, totally and utterly fuck me off.
If you really DO work for the NHS OP, look up your whistle blowing policy and use it. Stop bitching and generalising on here about the NHS.
Parts of it are shite. But for those of us who’ve fought to save lives, who’ve held the hands of those who couldn’t be saved, who have left our children and scrubbed our skin raw, give us a fucking break. I have colleagues whose physical health has been decimated by COVID. I have others whose mental health is battered by what we have just worked and lived through.
I’m almost past caring now about a second wave or a second spike. I don’t think I can carry on working if there is one.

And crap like this post? Yeah. Bullshit. And more than likely made up.

My BIL is a consultant community paediatrician. He has not seen any children since March. He's been at home with his laptop open playing computer games for 6 months.
My cousin is a GP and is very depressed as she's not allowed to see patients face to face unless urgent.

My dentist won't see anyone else it's an emergency. My coil is now out-of-state - no one will replace it. My daughter was due to start growth hormones - she's going to miss the boat for that unless they see her asap. My friend has his chemo stopped and his cancer is now terminal. I have spent 3 months on awful nerve painkillers for 'diabetic neuropathy' - finally paid to see someone privately as the pain was making.me feel suicidal.- I have a slipped disc. Diagnosing over the phone without seeing a patient clearly is great

But hey, none of the above here covid, so to keep us safe and protect the NHS, we had better not need health care

I work at a large hospital in the SW so not too badly affected by COVID. We are running at 95% capacity, so lower than normal. OP clinics all running again now. Haematology and Oncology never stopped.

We had over 50 critical care beds at the peak. I was redeployed from theatres to itu for around the 8 weeks we had our 2nd itu open.

We are now back to running 12 theatres again and our main department is running 7 days a week to catch up (3-4 extra lists on Saturday and Sunday). Every elective patient is covid tested and isolates for 2 weeks before surgery. Emergency patients should have a rapid test (1 hour for the result) before surgery if possible but otherwise we are running a normal theatre service (well slightly different but it’s back to normal as can be).

@Dominicgoings, she made it clear in her op that she isn’t clinical. I didn’t jump any queues, the clapping was a fucking cringe fest and our hospital donated all the freebies to the food bank. You are aware that there are many many people who work in the hospital who don’t work in ICU and still have an opinion don’t you? We don’t have to defer to the “hands scrubbed red raw” staff at every turn.

I don’t want to have nothing to do. I have asked to be redeployed. Management is utterly uninterested. What support do people think admin staff can give to clinical staff fgs, I wouldn’t want the old med sec anywhere near me in a clinical setting

Meant to say our usual critical care capacity is 20.

You had 50 beds available. How many were full at the peak?

@Dominicgoings No, I have not used NHS discount. No, I have not claimed freebies. No, I have not made videos. This thread has absolutely nothing to do with people who have worked in highly affected hospitals throughout the pandemic, I can't relate to your experience of working in the NHS throughout this and you can't relate to mine. Thanks for your hard work, everyone appreciates those who have worked hard during this, but that isn't a free pass to play the victim in situations that aren't related to that. You may be busy, some of us aren't, some of us are expected to go in day after day yet aren't being allocated work, whilst hearing stories of people being denied treatments, whilst getting compliant after complaint from patients about lack of services available. This really isn't about you or people in your situation.

This will be in the Daily Fail tomorrow!