Who do you consider as front line worker

[BrightonForWine]

I work on a ward with covid negative, mainly fit and well patients for elective surgery.

We consider 'frontline workers' as those who work directly with covid positive patients.

But I've seen some people who consider anyone working with patients (whatever their covid status) as frontline workers.

And now I've seen that some people consider those who work with the public or childcare (so those who work in Tesco or schools) as frontline workers.

I googled it and it was as clear as mud and seemed to banned together 'key workers' as 'frontline workers' which surprised me.

I wondered, purely out of interest what others considers as 'frontline' workers? And do you consider 'frontline and key workers' as a different name for the same thing?

[title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

Not sure. I am patient facing and hands on ( sonographer) so face to face for more than 20 min with no PPE apart from normal surgical mask. In the first lockdown patients weren’t even wearing masks. I consider that high risk, higher risk than a lot of key workers, but not quite front line in this particular pandemic. Maybe there need to be more sub categories.

Anyone face to face with either covid patients or potential covid carriers en mass in confined spaces.

I work for the NHS, after care team. See patients, but not on wards.
My husband is in the military.

We don't see ourselves as frontline or key workers, we both have jobs that need doing and do them. We trained hard to be able to do our roles.

Cannot stand the term 'Key Worker' and the way people throw it about to jump queues or try and get money off.

My daughters friend works on the perfume counter in a well known chemist, she claims she's a key worker on fb all the time providing health care, whether it be to get things free or gain the moral high ground in discussions.

Its embarrassing

Frontline means people working with covid patients. Keyworker means anyone whose role is essential to the function of society.

Interesting that nobody has mentioned Dentists and dental staff considering how many threads I've seen moaning about not being able to get dental appointments!

Frontline is those working directly with covid patients. Like front line in a war, literally on the front line fighting. It’s a bit dramatic to say other key workers like supermarket staff or teachers are frontline, they’re key workers yes but not front line.

DH is a funeral director and has to go and pick up deceased covid patients from care homes and hospitals so id class that as front line.

I’m a key worker apparently as I’m working directly on covid response (CS) but def not front line

Frontline workers are largely key workers but the reverse does not apply.

I feel as if “frontline” means being in the front, interacting with people and not knowing if someone has covid or not so childcare workers, teachers, shop assistants, bus drivers, alongside nurses and doctors, social care. I would all count as being frontline workers because they are out in the community working. Key workers are people who keep the country running and can be frontline workers but also people not interacting with others, e.g post man or woman, delivery driver.

Accurate definitions are usually heavily dependent on context. What is the purpose of your differentiation ?

For example, if you are deciding who needs (or deserves priority for ) PPE the answer might be different to who is necessary for the continuation of our society.

The people who maintain electricity power supplies would probably not be considered for PPE. The answer to the question how long could a hospital continue if the power supplies all failed might indicate how the 'front line' might move.

I think it is hard to tell who is essential (frontline) and who not. Though a lot of people are self certifying as frontline.

An IT worker who makes sure a bank works could be considered frontline, even though they don't appear to be like a nurse or teacher, because if the bank stopped working, the whole country could be in a whole world of pain.

I work for the NHS and would say front line workers are those in regular direct contact with COVID patients. I consider myself a key worker, despite having no contact with patients as the front line workers would be unable to do their jobs if I didn’t do mine (they would have no equipment, drugs or PPE and would not be getting paid!)

They aren't interchangeable terms. Frontline is NHS staff involved in the care of Covid patients and Social Care workers including paramedics and ambulance staff and A&E. However, I appreciate many people go onto hospital into non-Covid wards and end up with covid so a bit difficult to distinguish sometimes.

Key workers are those whose jobs are Critical to the running of the country such as all those involved in the infrastructure (e.g. keeping the electricity on and oxygen flowing into hospitals), pharmaceutical production, all those in the basic food chain, manufacturers of medical equipment, all those keeping public transport running, waste services, those in banking, the media, IT, DWP, HMRC, teachers, Prison staff and probably quite a few I haven't thought of but am extremely grateful to.

Is someone who works as an Accountant or in HR in the NHS a keyworker? I don't think so.

I think 'front line' is anyone actually physically facing covid cases/in a place that's higher risk from covid cases through their job. So patient facing hospital staff, teachers/anyone physically dealing with students, social care workers etc.
Key workers are those whose industries cannot be closed, because they're essential, so supermarkets, vets, bus drivers etc.

I work in care now, was in hospitality the first time round and for the return in July. I honestly feel less at risk and more protected where I am now than I did at the height of eotho in August, and the squabbling free for all that turned into. I had people constantly get too close to me, refuse to follow SD rules etc. Where I am now I'm regularly tested, have adequate PPE (I know that wasn't the case at the start of this though) and the rules on SD and procedures where it cannot be achieved are very tight, not to protect me as much as to protect the people I care for.

There's less exposure where I am because it's the same people day in and day out, being regularly tested, and adhering to the rules in place, that wasn't the case in hospitality where any number could pass through in a day. So I'd say a&e staff, paramedics, police etc are much higher risk than me in that way and shop workers have more exposure. That risk changes however the day it does get into our place, because then I'm in contact with it/close caring for people who are positive and doing tasks that are likely to see me infected. So I don't think it's as clear cut as frontline and key workers all the time.
Currently I'd say I'm a key worker, if we have an outbreak then I'd become frontline.
Don't think either group deserves more/less respect to be honest, each has its own challenges to bare.

I’m an nhs clinician expected to go into peoples houses in the community and see them in clinic. I’ve been told to wfh and I’ve been wfh since March. It doesn’t work.

I’ve been asked to work on covid wards. I’ve been asked to vaccinate.

Some might say that’s not ‘front line.’ My understanding is that a distinction needs to be made between patient facing roles and non patient facing. As a clinician, I can be asked to deal directly with covid patients. Our medical secretaries cannot.

Anyone in a room with covid and no ppe. I would include teachers.

Frontline - anyone working on COVID wards or directly with COVID patients.
Key workers - retail, teachers, post office/delivery staff, animal care workers, transport, truckers, nursing staff, healthcare workers, carers etc.

Obviously there's a distinction. My railway based key worker other half isn't a frontline worker. I'd probably count anyone who's jobs meant they cannot maintain social distance. They literally have to touch, or be in the personal space of another to do their job as they'd be the "frontline" for infection transfer of any sort. If you cannot socially distance.

Some jobs (parcel sorting) might involve brief breaches of social distancing but I don't mean that. I mean care workers, nursing support, nursery workers, opticians, dentists (not that any of them are going to work yet ). I wouldn't count hairdressing etc because none of those businesses are essential. A year without a waxing won't hurt!

There were people posting here during lockdown saying they were front-line workers for the nhs working from home.

I would say that was most definitely not front line. Key worker perhaps, but not front line!

Key worker is different from frontline but I think it can be confusing especially as we tend to use frontline pre pandemic for anyone say in health and social care that is patient/person facing. I guess in a pandemic it’s shifted but frontline certainly anyone who is face to face with covid - so both health and social care staff in hospitals, care homes and the community. That includes cleaners etc who have to work there for example.

@ghostmous3

I clean covid wards. Someone said that we weren't front line workers as we dont save lives. No but I have close contact with covid patients and we are still getting and dying from the virus

I've had this argument (in a friendly way, with a hospital cleaner) before - cleaners DO save lives! We'd all be bloody dead by now without you!

Is someone who works as an Accountant or in HR in the NHS a keyworker? I don't think so.

Of course they are. How can doctors and nurses treat patients if they aren't being paid??

Heath and social care staff, such as nurses, doctors, care home staff, social workers are front line workers.

@Kaliorphic

Heath and social care staff, such as nurses, doctors, care home staff, social workers are front line workers.

I'm a social worker and don't consider myself a frontline worker. Essential worker yes.

I work in a hospital and by the trusts definition am frontline as they count anyone who works with patients. I dont work with covid patients but I suppose the risk is there (patients have to remove their masks with us and we have to be within 1m)