What would you think if you read this notice on the back of your staff loo door?

[Diditopknot]

“2021 There will be no hospital taxis provided on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day”

There are no buses running on Christmas Day.
To give you context, this is a hospital.
Now overwhelmed by covid and usual winter issues on top.
The nurses start at 7.30 finish at 9pm. Night shift 8.45 til 8

There is no visiting again due to covid so not sure why this has been hidden in a loo, there’s no one to see what a shit thing this is for many nurses who rely on buses to get to work.
It’s the one relief working on Christmas Day that at least you can get home to your family without paying inflated taxi prices.
Those that drive still have to pay to park on Christmas Day or they will be fined.
The nurses are trying to sort out lifts from each other a week before their shift.

Just to add, there are very few nurses, staffing is horrendous so it will be a very low bill for the hospital.

I saw the very exclusive garden centre staff out cutting the grass and trimming the hedges again this week at the hospital…wonder how much that’s costing the hospital?
What about having the garden centre staff come 10 months of the year and using the other 2 months to pay for Christmas Day taxis.
As long as the package is pretty, doesn’t matter what’s going on behind doors does it?

It beggars belief.
What would you think?
Put yourself in the shoes of that nurse reading that, on your knees covering extra shifts all year due to sickness and staff leaving in droves. Facing the start of the 3rd wave. Rubber mask making marks on your face, no break again for the 2nd shift in a row.

@Toastmost They arrange a lift with colleagues, get a taxi, cycle or walk.

Honestly, I would think 'wow, such a shame I'm going to have covid symptoms come xmas eve.'

I am not kind or self sacrificing enough to be a nurse!

@Kshhuxnxk

I'm shocked it was ever an option tbh. You get a decent salary, it isn't the taxpayers burden to get you to and from work in a job you chose.

Horrible comment. And utter nonsense. Even the highest ranking nurses are on pitiful salaries compared to most other professional jobs.

Even the lowest ranking nurses are on fantastic salaries compared with minimum wages jobs. Just saying…

But hope you manage to sort something out, OP, and still have a great Christmas

Even the lowest ranking nurses are on fantastic salaries compared with minimum wages jobs

Why compare a nurse to someone on minimum wage?
£18,500 is hardly a fantastic wage for a difficult job that requires skilled workers.

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle

Even the lowest ranking nurses are on fantastic salaries compared with minimum wages jobs. Just saying…

But hope you manage to sort something out, OP, and still have a great Christmas

After tax and student loan deductions hell no they're not. Also nurses aren't the only hospital staff..

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle

Even the lowest ranking nurses are on fantastic salaries compared with minimum wages jobs. Just saying…

But hope you manage to sort something out, OP, and still have a great Christmas

I would not say 'fantastic salaries' - these are graduate jobs with high pressure and high responsibility.

Last Christmas Day I had a patient cardiac arrest and die after over an hour trying to resuscitate them.
Held the hand of a wife who’s husband 30 years lay at end of life while she sobbed.
Had 3. Staff members ring in sick and got my first cup of tea at 6pm at the nurses station while I wrote my notes. Nothing to eat until I got home at 10pm after starting work at 07.15.
Made sure all of my staff got their breaks, we had clubbed together to ensure that every patient got a gift to open that morning.
The thought of going through that again, then cycling or walking the 8 miles home makes me want to vomit.
I get off shift late every day, no way would I expect a colleague to wait for me to give me a lift home on Christmas morning.

Those who offered kind words, thank you. It’s nice to know that there is some compassion and kindness.
To those who think that I am being unreasonable and demanding, I can only think that you have not been in this position. I’m glad for you, it’s utter utter dog shit.

So yes, that’s just like hospitality and peeling carrots in a restaurant, exactly the same thing.

@Diditopknot

Last Christmas Day I had a patient cardiac arrest and die after over an hour trying to resuscitate them. Held the hand of a wife who’s husband 30 years lay at end of life while she sobbed. Had 3. Staff members ring in sick and got my first cup of tea at 6pm at the nurses station while I wrote my notes. Nothing to eat until I got home at 10pm after starting work at 07.15. Made sure all of my staff got their breaks, we had clubbed together to ensure that every patient got a gift to open that morning. The thought of going through that again, then cycling or walking the 8 miles home makes me want to vomit. I get off shift late every day, no way would I expect a colleague to wait for me to give me a lift home on Christmas morning.

Those who offered kind words, thank you. It’s nice to know that there is some compassion and kindness.
To those who think that I am being unreasonable and demanding, I can only think that you have not been in this position. I’m glad for you, it’s utter utter dog shit.

So yes, that’s just like hospitality and peeling carrots in a restaurant, exactly the same thing.

The same people complaining or saying omg so unfairrrrr would expect the nurses in over stretched wards to still run around after themselves and their family members and deliver a high level of care over Christmas if needed. People expect a lot without thinking of the humans doing the jobs, and how something like this makes a huge difference to your day.

Hope you manage to get a lift sorted, I know car sharing in covid is frowned upon, but anyone who's on shift can give you a lift? When I used to work christmas I didn't mind going out of my way to drop people off.

You know, I was with you on that last post until you were so horribly dismissive about hospitality staff.

Perhaps you should consider switching career if hospitality is so easy.

OP where I work ‘hospital taxis’ are for patients who have no means of getting home & no, they don’t run on those days as the taxis are 3x the cost.

When I work Xmas day I book a cab about 2 weeks in advance. It costs £18 instead of £6 but that’s just the way it is 🤷🏻‍♀️ No buses on Xmas and I love too close for a parking space but just too far to want to walk before/after 13 hr shift.

Honestly I think this is 100% normal.

@RJnomore1

You know, I was with you on that last post until you were so horribly dismissive about hospitality staff.

Perhaps you should consider switching career if hospitality is so easy.

It is easier than being a nurse, yes.

And it’s paid accordingly.

Minimum wage mostly for the joys of long stressful days either in sweltering kitchens or out front getting abused by drunken and entitled twats. And you don’t even get to pretend you’re a saint for doing your job.

But yeah it’s just peeling a few carrots.

@Diditopknot when you chose to be a nurse, did you think you would be exempt from dealing with cardiac arrests?
Did you think your colleagues would never get sick?
Did you think you’d never have to comfort a grieving relative?
Did you think it would never be busy?
Did you think the hospital closed on christmas day?

I’m baffled as to why you think you doing the job you CHOSE means you should get free transport home?

You had a bit of support until you were a dickhead about hospitality workers.

Bet you’re one of the wankers with the “I’m an NHS hero” or similar car stickers 🙄😂

Had it been declared and tax paid on it before? Because it should be and I can imagine the administrative burden of doing that is huge.

From the gov.uk website:

Private travel
All non-business travel is counted as private. This includes the journey between an employee’s home and permanent workplace.

You arrange the transport and pay for it
You must:

report the cost on form P11D
pay Class 1A National Insurance on the value of the benefit

They don't charge for parking on Sundays and bank holidays at my local hospital because there's no public transport. They don't get free taxis though, I've picked up my friend on a couple of occasions because she doesn't drive and I'm near the hospital on Sundays when her shift ends (church)

It is easier than being a nurse, yes.
And paid considerably less.

@gogohm

They don't charge for parking on Sundays and bank holidays at my local hospital because there's no public transport. They don't get free taxis though, I've picked up my friend on a couple of occasions because she doesn't drive and I'm near the hospital on Sundays when her shift ends (church)

No free parking and no free transport at hours either. Staff parking is salary sacrifice.

We can park further away and walk 15-20mins but not many people want to do that in the dark.

@Overthebow

It is easier than being a nurse, yes. And paid considerably less.

And rightly so, although depending on what band someone is would argue against considerably less. Its still a lot easier

[quote RussianSpy101]@Diditopknot when you chose to be a nurse, did you think you would be exempt from dealing with cardiac arrests?
Did you think your colleagues would never get sick?
Did you think you’d never have to comfort a grieving relative?
Did you think it would never be busy?
Did you think the hospital closed on christmas day?

I’m baffled as to why you think you doing the job you CHOSE means you should get free transport home?

You had a bit of support until you were a dickhead about hospitality workers.[/quote]
Lots are CHOOSING to leave because dealing with the above, whilst extremely short staffed, in crumbling hospitals which lack the proper equipment and with ever expanding wait lists and pressures isn't what they CHOSE to do.

@Toastmost but what did they expect? My dad was a paramedic for 37 years. They’ve had long wait times, queues outside hospitals etc for years, especially around Christmas. This is not a new phenomenon!

@Nidan2Sandan

My husband is in the Police, no trains run on xmas so he has always had to drive to work and pay to park in London when he works the holidays.

Cant say we have ever considered him getting paid transport home.

Heck, it's been a not unusual occurrence, after a late arrest that means he missed the last train home, for him to sleep in the cells or on a office floor!!

As for the actual placement of the sign, best place for it to guarantee maximum exposure to staff

As a policeman I would have thought he would know that metered parking in London, and at pay-and-display bays, is free on public holidays such as Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

[quote RussianSpy101]@Toastmost but what did they expect? My dad was a paramedic for 37 years. They’ve had long wait times, queues outside hospitals etc for years, especially around Christmas. This is not a new phenomenon![/quote]
Ah thats alright then! Why anyone stays working as a healthcare professional in this country is baffling.

@Toastmost well exactly, but don’t choose to be a nurse and then moan about the job you signed up to do?! If she doesn’t like it she can leave like many others have.