Hannah Ingram-Moore -Victim or Villain?

[MrsImFedUpOfTheWeather]

I'm inclined to think we've been scammed. Am I being unreasonable?

@MrsImFedUpOfTheWeather these are from NHS charity funds, no idea if the money came from Tom Moore. There are lots of NHS charities.

I’ve not personally benefited from these things as I’m not clinical staff and this is only what I’m aware of. There is probably lots of other stuff too. It all goes on clinical staff plus things for patients eg. Books, toys, Garden makeover that sort of thing.

Again I’m talking about the NHS charities- don’t know specifically what Tom Moore money funded.

I don't want to burst anyone's bubble but she wasn't doing anything too different to what many charities do. I used to work in the sector and it was a real eye opener and very much changed my attitude to charities in general. I now really only give to charities I know make a practical difference in peoples lives. For many though setting up and running a charity is a bit of a gravy train.

She was always a grifter, and I think he knew all about it. But those who said so at the time were ripped to shreds.

Me too, I felt really uneasy; it smacked of exploitation and I was sick of seeing the saccharine publicity.
By the end the sight of anything to do with them made my flesh crawl 😵‍💫

Agreed. I am really careful where I donate

I wouldn't blame anyone for taking anything offered - fair play. But tea rooms and massages? Any data on the impact yet? More lives saved with rested staff? Waste of money.

I just think that when we were raising money for the 'NHS', it was for the institution- not the individuals. Maybe I'm wrong.

I’m a bit confused what people donating to the NHS charities would be funding?

Of courses it’s not going to be spent on services or employing more nurses. That’s what the government funds.

It’s for all the non essential bits and pieces that enhance the wellbeing of patients and staff, that aren’t funded by the government. It could be a room refurb, furniture and soft furnishings, refreshments, sanitary/ comfort items, therapy that is not available through services, toys/ supplies for patients. iPads or tech for teens etc

I was a NHS HR Director during Covid. Don’t you dare to assume what those staff went through (and are still going through).

The NHS is made up of individuals, many of whom could leave and walk into higher paid, lower stress roles tomorrow. You’ll regret it if they do.

If the odd coffee and cake morning or massage keeps them in the job, it’s worth every single penny.

It was always for NHS charities to benefit staff. It’s amazing how quickly we’ve forgotten how under the cosh they were. Such short memories. It nearly broke my stepdaughter - isolated in a Travelodge room between 13 hour shifts in ITU in full PPE, every patient leaving in a body bag, huge weals in her face where her mask dug in. She ended up with PTSD and I understand some of the money was spent on counselling.

@OnceAgainWithFeeling Agree with you… staff are voting with their feet and leaving in droves because they can’t take any more. People are broken. I don’t think people understand how bad the situation is and the NHS is haemorrhaging staff.

The initial money was never going to be spent on equipment OP. There's no scandal there. The NHS isn't a charity- it's funded by tax payers and always was. If you and others weren't aware of that, that's on you.
What is a scandal is the 'foundation' later set up which appears to have largely benefited its founders.

I can't help but think the apple does not fall far from the tree. They suckered lots of people in with the 'feels of the nation'

Reminds me a bit of 'clapping for our NHS'.. whilst refusing to pay our NHS staff, running the services to the ground and selling them off to mates - for huge profits

@OnceAgainWithFeeling I totally agree with you. But the problems here are not (unless you inform me otherwise) at the feet of the tax-payer. The problems are with the employer. We donated money to save lives - not buy mars bars. Well - that was my understanding anyway -but it looks like I'm in a minority.

If the campaign had have been entitled 'support your local nurses', I would have still have given the same amount - but I wouldn't feel like I've been mis-led.

How disappointing.

Agree I always smelt a rat,

I don't think Tom had any dodgy motivations, but it sounds like his daughter has just been dazzled by the sums of money and gone rogue.

Well I donated with the thought that my money was going towards the hospitals, helping patients, and creating more space and getting equipment needed for the many patients with COVID. Naively though, it now seems. I definitely didn’t donate for staff to have massages and cream teas. And I’m pretty sure the staff didn’t decide to remain in their jobs because they were offered the ‘odd coffee and cake morning’.

We donated money to save lives - not buy mars bars. Well - that was my understanding anyway -but it looks like I'm in a minority

Did you think the NHS was a charity? I think this confusion probably was a significant reason for the huge amount of money raised but it was never going to be the case that that's where it went because, as already stated, the NHS is not a charity.

Well I beg to differ.

I think you have forgotten (or never appreciated) what it was like for NHS staff during COVID.

From my perspective anything that helped get them through their shift, be it cake, a massage, free tea/coffee, a toilet stocked with sampro, counselling, welfare centres, a redecorated staff room, staff shower/changing rooms, comfy rest chairs or frankly anything else that made life a bit easier was well deserved and money well spent.

Goodness knows I've worked in corporate environments where a lot of this stuff is standard (including additional things like on-site gyms and childcare facilities) despite a far less stressful work environment.

But surely supporting the well-being of NHS staff, especially during the pandemic does ultimately save lives?

Charity funds that went on Mars bars or massages were spent to make their lives a bit easier. This may meant that they stayed on an extra few hours rather than going home to eat and relax and that extra time on duty helped save lives

I didn’t donate to Tom as thought it was dodgy from the start, but I have donated and still do regularly, to NHS charities. I don’t expect that much of it goes on equipment but if it buys some pizza’s for staff who have not had a break for 13 hours (I have relatives in the NHS who say that’s a regular thing) then I will gladly keep donating

I don't begrudge a penny spent. I think so many have forgotten what frontline staff went through.

but I can't recall whether the captain tom campaign was clear on how it would be spent? I can see people may have been misled /misunderstood

(I donated direct to various hospital charities knowing that was exactly how it would be spent, it was clearly harrowing for those working in hospitals and i wanted them to feel the warmth of support )

Spot on!

It was really clear the fundraising was for NHS charities together… at least on the BBC. It would be going towards supporting Staff and patients… not the NHS services which are not a charity …. so I’m really baffled that there was so much misunderstanding of what the money would be spent on.

Did people really think it was for respiratory equipment, extra beds, medical equipment and supplies, bank shifts for extra staff during Covid. I’m so surprised that’s what those donating thought their money would be funding. That’s all the government’s responsibility!

I wonder if it happened at a party with a happy atmosphere…..

🤣🤣🤣

Can someone PLEASE explain why a previous poster believes CT caught covid from Russ Abbott? I NEED to know!! 🤣

It's not hard t buy tampons or cake. The well-being of NHS staff is on the NHS. A lot of us thought we were contributing to life-saving equipment - not a hug. Where's the hard impact of the money we donated? There is none.

Gosh Russ Abbot is a blast from the past- and that song! Haven’t thought about him in over 30 years!

What song?😂