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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think NHS workers aren’t ‘hero’s’ for working Christmas Day?!

475 replies

Reindeerlighthouse · 25/12/2023 20:27

Just that. I have quite a few Nurses on my friend’s lists on social media and a few of them have posted today about how they’ve been working. Que loads of ‘omg, you’re an absolute angel’ ‘omg, you’re a true hero lovely’ type comments on all of their posts.

Am I being dim? They’ve been rostered on, they’re just doing their jobs on a day they’ve been rota’d onto, why are they ‘hero’s’ for that? It’s literally their job. I’m not saying their job doesn’t deserve credit because it absolutely does, but I’m sure if they’d have refused to work Christmas Day they’d have been facing disciplinary action?

My husband has worked the last 5 Christmas days (not medical related) no one has ever said he’s a hero for working it.

AIBU to think ti really doesn’t make them a hero? Just people doing their jobs on a day they’ve been told to do it?

OP posts:
Gravelshoveling · 26/12/2023 10:31

They are heros just for staying in the nhs in my opinion.
It’s a very challenging, toxic environment and they are extremely short staffed.
Not the job most nurses originally signed up for.

Most nhs also don’t supply taxis on Xmas day so if you don’t drive it’s probably £80 for a taxi.

Yes, they are heros.

rainpleasestop · 26/12/2023 10:32

@mumsneedwine
Of course they do but they're two different pay scales. The first three are AfC. They need to continue their fight.

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 10:34

@rainpleasestop and they will. Those that decide to stay. Not sure why having different pay scales matters ? Everyone should be paid their worth.

rainpleasestop · 26/12/2023 10:38

@mumsneedwine absolutely I just meant if they were on the same scale as the others they'd have been on much more than that plus the extra 60% the others had.

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 10:40

@rainpleasestop 😊 I so agree. As a non medic family we are all slightly gobsmacked by the way staff in the NHS are treated. We knew it was bad, but not this horrific.

bakebeans · 26/12/2023 11:23

@SALWARP2023 its not double pay. It's the same rate as a Sunday at time and 2/3. I've never had a free meal in my life in 20 years.

Destiny123 · 26/12/2023 11:29

bakebeans · 26/12/2023 11:23

@SALWARP2023 its not double pay. It's the same rate as a Sunday at time and 2/3. I've never had a free meal in my life in 20 years.

All 11 trusts I've worked in have done free Xmas Dinner on Xmas day...but it's def no longer as widely advertised as when I graduated in 2014, and it's quite hard to actually access due to the v limited serving window ...but if u ask, I'm pretty sure it exists (if I include my uni hospital placements that also did its 16

Spacecowboys · 26/12/2023 11:31

Junior drs will get a day of in lieu for working Christmas Day.

Destiny123 · 26/12/2023 11:33

Spacecowboys · 26/12/2023 11:31

Junior drs will get a day of in lieu for working Christmas Day.

Only get a standard 8h day in lieu, when all BH shifts are 12.5/13h though

ChateauDuMont · 26/12/2023 11:36

Ladysodor · 26/12/2023 09:01

I agree. Sick of hero worshipping people just for going to work.

Some of them didn't even work a few years ago and just made stupid dancing videos for tik tok.

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 11:37

@Spacecowboys woop de doop. They get a day off for working 26+ hours over Xmas. A day they'll probably have to use to do some stupid portfolio filling crap to try and get a training number - yes, the stupidity continues, as we now train more medical students than we train doctors. Only 1 in 4 will be able to progress to speciality training this year. Not like we need doctors or that they are cheaper than PAs.
Pay them. Or they will leave. I'm quite scared there will be no healthcare in 10 years. Not unless you're rich.

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 11:40

@ChateauDuMont ever watched people die of Covid ? Over and over again. Day after day. Month after month. No ? Then don't you dare denigrate the people who did. Wow, they spent 5 minutes of their lunch break making a happy video to boost morale. How awful and lazy of them.
Idiot.

WorriedMum231 · 26/12/2023 11:41

fizzlefobizzle · 26/12/2023 10:08

@WorriedMum231

An apostrophe forms a contraction. That's how it reads. You could have avoided this calamitous confusion had you not used an apostrophe. Unbelievable!

Wink

What confusion? How could you possibly be confused about that? Bless you.

namechanged27374849 · 26/12/2023 11:41

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 11:40

@ChateauDuMont ever watched people die of Covid ? Over and over again. Day after day. Month after month. No ? Then don't you dare denigrate the people who did. Wow, they spent 5 minutes of their lunch break making a happy video to boost morale. How awful and lazy of them.
Idiot.

Don't people working in healthcare see people dieing everyday?

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 11:43

@namechanged27374849 during Covid they did. Which is when they were making the odd Tik Tok video. To try and preserve some sense of normality and life.

electriclight · 26/12/2023 11:44

"Some of them didn't even work a few years ago and just made stupid dancing videos for tik tok."

What a hateful comment. I don't think anyone works for 24 hours every day of the week. I expect they get to take a break or finish a shift like everyone else. A lot of people used TikTok at that time, for fun and to interact.

I don't know anyone who works for the NHS so have no skin in the game but bloody hell some of the hateful, nasty comments on here give a scary insight into how some people think.

Spacecowboys · 26/12/2023 11:46

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 11:37

@Spacecowboys woop de doop. They get a day off for working 26+ hours over Xmas. A day they'll probably have to use to do some stupid portfolio filling crap to try and get a training number - yes, the stupidity continues, as we now train more medical students than we train doctors. Only 1 in 4 will be able to progress to speciality training this year. Not like we need doctors or that they are cheaper than PAs.
Pay them. Or they will leave. I'm quite scared there will be no healthcare in 10 years. Not unless you're rich.

I also have to work Christmas you know. It’s shit for all nhs workers, junior drs don’t have the monopoly on it being crap. The extra pay for Xmas day on agenda for change is just like working any Sunday. As you’ll know, Junior drs enhancements are factored in as a percentage of weekends worked. Night rates are plus 37% which is more than agenda for change staff. Not saying that all nhs staff don’t deserve a pay rise because they do but junior drs are not going to get 35%. Everyone else took 5% ( rightly or wrongly). They quite frankly are being unrealistic.

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 11:51

@Spacecowboys they're not asking for it in one go (see Scotland). But for there to be a plan to bring their pay back to where it was in 2008. Unreasonable ? And the enhancements are not that great (I've seen DDs payslip, which you need a degree to decipher).
Because the alternative to paying them is they leave and go to countries who are begging them to come. For lots more money, shorter hours and in some cases a guarantee of training.
Thank you for working in the NHS. I think anyone who does at the moment deserves a medal for getting through each day of pure crap. I hope you got paid well for doing so. Because it's not much to ask.

CeriB82 · 26/12/2023 12:01

jasflowers · 26/12/2023 10:26

You wouldn't be saying that if a loved one had accident/illness etc etc and the team of AHPs saved their life, oh yes you'd be hero worshipping them then.

Thats the difference, its more than someone in (most) other sectors working a Xmas, people in healthcare make a real difference.

But as said, your post and this thread shows why so many are leaving, they are fed up of low pay and being taken for granted.

Show quote history

As i said. Its their job. Its what they trained to do.

and worship? 😂 i have never worshiped any person

GreyCarpet · 26/12/2023 12:07

I think the hero worshipping directed at the NHS is ridiculous at any time tbh.

Yes, it's a difficult job in an increasingly difficult environment but then so are a lot of jobs/professions. Especially those in the public sector where finding has been slashed.

As for being heroes for working on Christmas day, no, not 'heroes' for doing that.

My daughter worked on Christmas Day and she's 17 years old. She was rostered on in her part time job so she had to do it.

She's not a hero either 🤷🏻‍♀️

nutbrownhare15 · 26/12/2023 12:11

I'll never have to work on Christmas day. I get to spend it with my family every single year. I don't really understand why you wouldn't celebrate those that do go out to work, rather than try to undermine or downgrade it.

Usernamecreateddone · 26/12/2023 12:11

I agree with you @Reindeerlighthouse

Spacecowboys · 26/12/2023 12:14

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 11:51

@Spacecowboys they're not asking for it in one go (see Scotland). But for there to be a plan to bring their pay back to where it was in 2008. Unreasonable ? And the enhancements are not that great (I've seen DDs payslip, which you need a degree to decipher).
Because the alternative to paying them is they leave and go to countries who are begging them to come. For lots more money, shorter hours and in some cases a guarantee of training.
Thank you for working in the NHS. I think anyone who does at the moment deserves a medal for getting through each day of pure crap. I hope you got paid well for doing so. Because it's not much to ask.

Not unreasonable but I think that should be the case for other nhs staff, who have all seen their pay drop in real terms. My band 5 wage in 2008 went further than my band 7 wage in 2014. I actually think this thread is just nasty and mean spirited, who sits at home on Christmas Day thinking up such a horrible thing to post. I can’t believe I have actually given it head space whilst sat eating my chocolates last night.

mumsneedwine · 26/12/2023 12:18

@Spacecowboys I'm with you on that ! ALL NHS staff deserve pay rises. Was surprised nurses settled at 5%. They need more.
I've been sat on a train so this has kept me entertained- some people lead such angry little lives to despise the people they'll need if sick.
Have a lovely rest of your days off. And let's home 2024 sees some positive change in our healthcare.

Inca22 · 26/12/2023 12:23

OP, I've never read a thread that riled me so much as this one. Yes they are heroes. Not just because they work over Christmas, but because racism, sexism towards NHS workers, drunkedness, depression and suicide ramp up over this period. My mum used to get regularly abused and spat when working at Christmas.

So working over Christmas IS MUCH harder than any other period for nurses and doctors. Not quite what you'd get from a Vet or shop worker. The rubbish you spout is awful and just makes you sound bitter.

And for those people that say "well you signed up for that". Thank god they do.