Clapping the NHS at 8pm today

[Violetdaffodil]

I am an NHS worker

To all those of you who voted for the Tory party at the last election, a party that has for a long time tried to destroy the NHS and only realise our worth now that there is a serious pandemic afoot,

and to all of you who were clogging up the beaches, the Lake District, the parks in London etc without a care in the world last weekend

I don’t want to hear your hypocritical clapping out the window for the NHS workers tonight, so PLEASE DON’T

DSis, who lives at the top of a mountain, miles away from everything, went out and clapped with her family. 🙌 to our farmers.💗

FlushedZebra

And not sure why you’d think I’d get your post deleted. I think you need to calm down, lots of us have loved ones that are poorly. I’m entitled to my opinion about the clapping and that opinion is shared by the nurses I know.

Anyway I hope that whoever you know that is poorly is ok and recovers soon.

FlushedZebra

Like I said, many of us know people who are currently poorly. You’re not the only one. 🤷🏻‍♀️ And everyone is entitled to their opinion about the clapping. I don’t have to agree with you and haven't called you names.

I hope your husband recovers soon.

And you don't care about my husband, don't pretend you do.

The people that will care for my husband, if he needs it, are the NHS workers who I applauded tonight. And that's why I applaud them tonight.

@Violetdaffodil could not agree more. Thank you for all your hard work.

Jeez people. It was just a round of applause. You know? People applauding stuff that they think is really good.

I clap artists all the time. So why not clap our health workers? I am really loving what they're doing right now.🙌🌻⚘🌷

I dont think anyone meant to hurt anyone by doing this.

Okay, this is not going to be a popular opinion. . .

I've lived in this country for more than 10 years (paid taxes and only set foot in a hospital a handful of times, before I get attacked!).

I don't get it.

There are so many excellent medical professionals doing a great job in really underfunded hospitals, lack of resources and often poor remuneration. Everyone knows this and it doesn't (or rather, shouldn't) take a pandemic to occur in order to wise up to it. Instead of funding the health system (and yes, that means more tax), the British go out on the streets and clap to show how much they love their health service and then argue about whether or not it means anything?!

I've always found this to be so strange. Everyone says how much they love the NHS, but I've rarely encountered anyone who wants to fund it properly.

The NHS is funded properly. It’s wasted in management and early Labour privatisation.

To all the people criticising the clapping, what do you do at the end of races, shows, awards? Do you refuse to clap when others are clapping?

To all the people criticising the clapping, what do you do at the end of races, shows, awards? Do you refuse to clap when others are clapping?

well, they can hear it can't they?

Its a meaningless gesture, albeit with a good intention.

Perhaps when this is over, we can all pay an extra 1% on income tax/VAT to give these nhs workers a decent pay rise?

no, didn't think that would get a round of applause.

LemonGingerCakes

You did misunderstand, yes. I am in no way defeatist and I don’t think that shit should be part of anyone’s job. It’s something I challenge daily.

It does, however, help me empathise with the nhs worker I was addressing.

This thread has been an eye opener for me. Such vitriol. Maybe it’s a by product of the horribly stressful situation we find ourselves in.

It's soo cringy. There's a video circulating of Nhs workers walking into a supermarket and the staff are clapping them like they've come from war. Couldn't watch the whole thing it's so awkward

I saw that. Well, a bit, because like you I could barely watch, awkward is the word!

We’re both NHS frontline workers in this house: DH a doctor, me working in mental health. We didn’t clap, we find it cringeworthy and patronising. DH feels that an unintended side effect of the current situation is that NHS staff are starting to get a bit of a god complex and feel they can do no wrong, just a general shift he’s noticed at work in people’s attitudes (with examples I won’t share for privacy’s sake). Our thinking is more along the lines that working in the NHS is certainly difficult right now but it’s well remunerated and we are lucky to have secure jobs. It’s a bit pants that NHS workers are being given all the glory when there are thousands of other people risking their lives for much less reward.

And let’s face it, it’s not applause for NHS staff really is it? It’s nurses. Nobody else. The many other disciplines that are keeping shit going are generally well ignored. My colleagues see five to seven patients per day to provide psychotherapy for anxiety and depression, as you can imagine they’re holding a LOT right now, upwards of 25 hours per week spent listening to people with mental health issues and they’re all freaking out. Trying to maintain a calm reassuring presence for those people while dealing with one less salary at home from their partners job loss or worrying about financial effects of this pandemic. They are absolutely smashing it (I feel guilty I’m on mat leave!) but I haven’t heard a peep of recognition for anyone working in the NHS except for nurses and very occasionally doctors. The HCAs and cleaning staff and admin workers are all ignored as usual.

And let’s face it, it’s not applause for NHS staff really is it? It’s nurses. Nobody else

I don’t agree. Perhaps because i work in a school, I am well aware (as many people are) of how many different roles it takes to keep an organisation running.

My over the road neighbour is an HCA (and was there last night.)

🤷🏻‍♀️

I think it's alright. I find clapping quite cringey normally but these are not normal times. It creates a bit of a community spirit to participate in this strange ritual. Maybe people who normally take the NHS for granted and behave rudely or in an entitled manner will begin to realise that we need to be grateful to our healthcare workers. I know several doctors who are all quite nervous about the situation, worried for their patients and concerned for their own and their family's health. Clapping doesn't change the situation, there is bags of virtue signalling but at the same time NHS front line staff deserve to get a bit of love.

I am worried about people congregating outside their doors though.... this only works if you stay inside by an open window or have a large drive way.

It would be desperately ironic if neighbours managed to spread the virus standing to close together to clap.

*well, they can hear it can't they?

Its a meaningless gesture, albeit with a good intention.

Perhaps when this is over, we can all pay an extra 1% on income tax/VAT to give these nhs workers a decent pay rise?

no, didn't think that would get a round of applause.*

And so could the NHS workers who might not have been working at that precise moment last night.

It might've been meaningless to you but not to me or anyone I know IRL, it's a show of appreciation, like any other situation where you would clap someone.

I just feel sorry for those who have to turn something nice into a negative.

@StormyClouds fair play. It’s still hard to know which party you can really trust with the NHS though. I say this as someone who would be well and truly stuffed if we for example ended up on an American style system.

Find the thread on here from 19th March should healthcare workers get a pay rise.
Oh how things change when the shit starts to hit the fan.
Ditto several people on fb #soemotionalclap were also slagging off various NHS treatment/ waiting times/ ethnicity of staff. But now to the sheepy masses, nhs workers are the new Kardashians to be adored/ cant do no wrong ( unless you bare knuckle fighting one of them for a pack of nappies)
Yes they are a doing an amazing incredible job, but do something practical, or stay home, start a petition for them to get better pay, better conditions, priority housing.
The clapping although icky is what it is its the hypocrisy I cannot stand.
I was thinking its just the way society is now.
But yes this thread displays already the #Iclappedyoudidntthereforeyoudontcareblablah

The clapping although icky is what it is its the hypocrisy I cannot stand

How have I been hypocritical? I don’t understand?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3852498-all-healthcare-should-get-a-pay-rise?pg=1&order=

SmileEachDay that comment clearly not aimed at you.

Maybe look at it another way. The number of people clapping the NHS last night shows that they do indeed value HCPs and the NHS when the chips are truly down. Maybe some people clapping voted Tory in the past and looked the other way on how they have crippled the NHS. But maybe they won’t in future, next time they’re at the ballot box.

In the words of a busker in our town "Don't clap, throw money".