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

[Reindeerlighthouse]

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?

I disagree there have been numerous strikes across the NHS in recent months for pay and conditions, so I think they do have a voice, and use it. They are backed by the majority of the public for it too.

@Destiny123 i qualified in 2006 and I've never had a free breakfast or Christmas dinner. A&e,Mau, ward, community nursing

I used to work in the NHS. No one I knew would consider themselves a hero for working on Christmas day, let alone any other day of the year. It is part of the job.

Calling them 'heroes' implies it's a special quality within them and that they don't require respectful recognition because they are 'heroes'. The implication being that they are selfless and somehow different to (better than?) the rest of us and so they dont mind

That s a dangerous way of thinking because it offers a justification for the lack of respect/appropriate pay and substandard working conditions

Perhaps BUT the reality is that as HCPs have gradually lost their "Angels/Hero" status, pay, bursaries and respect have all fallen off a cliff.

The starting pay in real terms for nursing is lower now than ever and they now have to pay back large loans and have a far worse pension scheme - oh and pay to park.

Yes i do think people with 2 or 3 A levels that chose to go into the NHS are "better" (again poor choice of word) than say someone else who choses to go into finance or law.

Didn’t your mother ever tell you if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything? That old adage is true- your post really isa mean-spirited thing to go to the effort of posting about at Christmas

What mealy mouthed, arrant nonsense. There are times when people or situations should absolutely be called out and heavily criticised. Telling women to #bekind is basically telling them to put up & shut up and get back in the kitchen. I'm well educated and articulate, why on Earth wouldn't I use my voice, yes even to criticise, when it is necessary?

I worked 8 Christmas days on the trot when I was in the NHS. I wasn't a hero it was just my job. In those days I got double pay and a day off in Lieu. Much rather that than being called a hero and getting clapped. I didn't see the OP as a nurse/ NHS bashing post. I hate the bolloxy hero shit. Going to work on Christmas day isn't heroic it's a job. Same as the hospital porters, security workers, social workers, taxi drivers and everyone in the hospitality industry. And all those I haven't listed. Not heros just workers.

Didn’t your mother ever tell you if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything?

Nobody's mother ever said that. It's a line from Bambi that got popular on Facebook about 15 years ago.

Yes i do think people with 2 or 3 A levels that chose to go into the NHS are "better" (again poor choice of word) than say someone else who choses to go into finance or law

Tbh, I don't disagree with that either, particularly. There's a reason why I have GPs and nurses on my friendship group and turned down a date with a defence lawyer once.

But that's because people whose motivation on life is making other peoples lives better rather than making money for themselves are more appealing to me.

But that feeling isn't limited to people who work for the NHS and I still don't consider them 'heroes' for working on Christmas Day!

And neither do the vast majority of NHS employees who have posted on this thread. So I'm not alone in thinking that!

That is true but I think they have been pushd to breaking point before they did it.

I didn't say it makes it impossible but it does make or a lot harder. And it has to be a collective decision. One nurse on a shift who is dead on their feet can't just say, "Not today. Today I'm leaving on time."

What's wrong with being a defence lawyer? Aren't people entitled to a good defense?

Yes i do think people with 2 or 3 A levels that chose to go into the NHS are "better" (again poor choice of word) than say someone else who choses to go into finance or law.

I'm in the NHS and work in finance. Am I better or worse than everyone else?

I assume this is do with managing costs and having internal prices because the NHS is free at the point of service.

Some people get bills or pay surcharge so finance is obviously needed not just for costs and internal dealings

They are.

But he had defended rapists and people of similar ilk.

He was also open about defending people he believed were guilty of (sometimes horrible) crimes because it was all about the money for him. And a sense of achievement when they were found not guilty because he'd played a game and won.

I wouldn't want that sort of person in my life and that's fine by me.

I think you're being deliberately obtuse.

I think it's clear what that poster meant when they said 'finance'.

Quite right, they’re not hero’s - they’re heroes.

You're a hero to everyone you have delivered a baby to.

To everyone you have ever cared for at their most vulnerable time. I can still remember my midwife as clear as day. She was amazing.

As i said earlier, "Hero" isn't the perfect word but i do think they do a remarkable job.
I was chatting to a 23yo OT, conversation about end of life and the situations and conversations she finds herself in, her level of maturity, compassion and understanding was huge.

I doubt she considers herself a "Hero" either but the world is a better place for people like her in it, unfortunately, the NHS is so bad and that includes local management (she had been promised post grad study funding but that money has been spent on agency staff) she is now considering moving abroad, where she is looking at, will fully fund any additional training she wishes to do.

The NHS may be hampered with pay restraint but there is other ways to make the job more attractive but they can't even do that.

@dollybird without people working across the NHS in finance etc, no one could do their patient facing roles, so i apologise for any misunderstanding but i didn't really have people working in finance within the NHS in mind.

Ta

My midwives were also amazing.

They cared for me and delivered my children safely.

But that is literally their job. They're not 'heroes' either.

I'm grateful to them, and admire them but I agree that the hero thing is overdone.

My husband has previously worked Christmas day in social care and he wasn't considered a hero. My brother in law worked Christmas day at a utilities plant this year as well.

I agree I wouldnt say hero but it does deserve some recognition. My husband has just missed our son's second Christmas (ambulance service), something which most families take for granted.

I think it feels even more sad when most of the jobs he goes to aren't even actual emergencies (e g mild aches/pains which have been ongoing for a while, most patients decline going to hospital as they don't actually want to be sat in A&E on xmas day).

@WorriedMum231

But you don't ....

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Ha.

yawn.

@Reindeerlighthouse

They aren't 'hero's' that's for sure. They may be 'heroes' though.