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Original poster

Who do you consider as front line worker

174 replies

BrightonForWine · 31/12/2020 09:49

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]

OP posts:
Chanjer · 31/12/2020 21:24

Frontline: anyone working in public facing roles and is industry dependent. In the NHS it's the people who work on wards. In the police force it's officers who deal with the public. In the fire brigade it's those who attend call outs etc.

Key workers: those providing essential services work and the infrastructure to support it

Emeraldshamrock · 31/12/2020 21:30

I consider medical and emergency staff fire-fighters, social services, community care as front line workers and possible teacher's?
I consider essential non medical workers as key workers retail, food suppliers, child care.
Non essential workers as workers who can't do the job from home.
I'd consider you a front line worker.

NaturalBigDarkBrows · 31/12/2020 22:00

I'm part of the judiciary & we've been WFH doing video/telephone hearings. We're considered key workers. I've had very few cases being heard Face to face since March 2020. We're not front
line however in the early days some of us kept ploughing through doing physical hearings until the LCJ etc had other measures in place. Even then I wouldn't call us frontline.

hobbyiscodefordogging · 31/12/2020 22:18

@SkinnyMinnieee

Thw terminology makes sense as they are 'on the frontline', fighting the actual virus. The issue IMO, however, is that everybody then asssumes them to be the most vulnerable, so we get all this 'free xyz for NHS staff'/NHS to front of the queue/clapping for NHS, when teachers are actually the ones most at risk.

I see what you mean about that. I'm not sure about who's most at risk though - what sources of evidence do you have saying that teachers are the most at risk?

LindaEllen · 31/12/2020 22:27

I'd say my DP was front line as an undertaker as he's currently dealing exclusively with covid patients from the local area, picking them up from the morgues etc.

Timeturnerplease · 31/12/2020 22:32

Anyone who has physical contact with Covid positive people, all of course with the appropriate PPE.

Oh wait, hang on...

Ostagazuzulum · 31/12/2020 22:37

Sister in law is nurse who manages community nurses. Not been practising for about 20 years. Every time I speak to her on phone she mentions she's frontline. All due respect for what she's doing. NHS are wonderful and I'm sure it's stressful but she works mostly From home. Hmm

SkinnyMinnieee · 31/12/2020 22:37

I'm not sure about who's most at risk though - what sources of evidence do you have saying that teachers are the most at risk?

Top three most dangerous are all teaching jobs, and nurses only just creep into the top ten at number nine.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/finance.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/50-most-dangerous-jobs-contracting-221156019.html

SkinnyMinnieee · 31/12/2020 22:39

Seems that being around children is the biggest risk.

Emeraldshamrock · 31/12/2020 22:41

@LindaEllen I'd agree your DH is a front line worker invaluable in this crisis.

riddles26 · 31/12/2020 22:49

[quote SkinnyMinnieee]I'm not sure about who's most at risk though - what sources of evidence do you have saying that teachers are the most at risk?

Top three most dangerous are all teaching jobs, and nurses only just creep into the top ten at number nine.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/finance.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/50-most-dangerous-jobs-contracting-221156019.html[/quote]
You might want to find another source - teachers are 47-50 out of 50 in this one ie the 3 lowest risk of all those listed.

(Not that I agree with the ranking of the above source or how the government is currently treating teachers but they are most certainly not most at risk in all of this

Haenow · 31/12/2020 22:57

@Fedup21

Different social workers must have different risks.

My DH’s friend is a social worker and has predominantly worked from home for months-working remotely. He was embarrassed that he’d been given the vaccine when his teacher wife hadn’t.

@Fedup21

In the UK?! Social workers - rightly - haven’t been vaccinated yet!

SkinnyMinnieee · 31/12/2020 23:00

Doh, I skim read it as 50 being the highest 'covid score'. But it shows that dentists are at highest risk, which proves my point that 'frontline NHS' aren't the highest. I've never even heard dentists mentioned, it's all about covid wards etc.

Haenow · 31/12/2020 23:01

Prior to Covid, we used the term ‘frontline’ to refer to any social care or health professional who was client/patient facing as opposed to a worker who is management or in a strategic role.
A petty gripe might be; ”Oh what does Bob know about X, he’s been a manager for 10 years and was only on the frontline for 2 years before he went desk based..”

CherryRoulade · 31/12/2020 23:05

I’d use frontline as people providing direct care, treatment or education.
Keyworkers are in roles supporting the frontline staff and those in community support roles.

I’m classified as key worker and have weekly testing but am definitely not front line. My daughter is a GP covering a hot hub and definitely is front line, but doesn’t get testing.

hibbledibble · 31/12/2020 23:05

I have worked on Covid-19 wards, and continue to work with known covid-19 patients. I don't consider anyone working for the NHS frontline however. We are not the military.

Frontline is a terrible term, which is making an analogy to a war, where deaths are inevitable. The deaths of my colleagues were not inevitable. The many more who have become severely sick and are still struggling with ongoing health issues are not inevitable.

With proper planning and PPE, it could have been avoided.

We are not frontline. We are healthcare professionals. This is not a war.

2021isgoingtobeasshitas2020 · 31/12/2020 23:07

Nhs staff
Council staff
Teachers

SkinnyMinnieee · 31/12/2020 23:09

Why council staff and not for example retail workers or bin men?

riddles26 · 31/12/2020 23:47

@SkinnyMinnieee it's an American article where different professional groups have worked differently throughout this period. They put teachers as lowest risk because schools in US were closed for so long - not quite the case now they're open.
Here, many dentists were all redeployed to 'frontline' work in A&E etc in the first wave so we're at high risk whilst others just answered the phone and triaged patients, seeing absolutely no one so no risk at all.

Healthcare has been dealt with completely differently and that link really can't be applied to out population

housemdwaswrong · 31/12/2020 23:53

I don't consider front line workers to be working with covid patients only. I'd have thought all patient contact was on the front line. The term front line workers has been around before covid, so I thought it covered all patient contact. If not, then those working specifically in infectious diseases for example aren't classed as front line workers unless it's covid, which makes no sense to me.

NYNY211 · 31/12/2020 23:53

@hibbledibble

I have worked on Covid-19 wards, and continue to work with known covid-19 patients. I don't consider anyone working for the NHS frontline however. We are not the military.

Frontline is a terrible term, which is making an analogy to a war, where deaths are inevitable. The deaths of my colleagues were not inevitable. The many more who have become severely sick and are still struggling with ongoing health issues are not inevitable.

With proper planning and PPE, it could have been avoided.

We are not frontline. We are healthcare professionals. This is not a war.

This is not a war.

You could of fooled us.

drspouse · 01/01/2021 00:00

My DH is keeping the databases going that keep the country (vaguely) solvent, from our spare room. He's a key worker but clearly not front line.

SkinnyMinnieee · 01/01/2021 00:01

Could have fooled us. 😉

ToffeePennie · 01/01/2021 01:02

Apparently my job is as “a keyworker, maintaining front line NHS defence” and thats straight from my college page regarding registered practitioners.
So it’s really clear as MUD.
Honestly I would say you are a front line worker if you work with covid patients. You are a key worker otherwise

CountessFrog · 01/01/2021 01:06

I don’t know why this is still being debated.

I was offered my vaccine today. I’m booked in for next Tuesday. I work in the nhs with patients but not covid ones. I see them face to face.

I must be ‘frontline.’

Does that settle it?!