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

As a doctor currently working on the ward for patients admitted with suspected covid, I thought this would be totally cringy.
However, it made made Teary and really quite overwhelmed. Yes, it is our job and yes it’s what we signed up for but to see everyone clapping - I’m surprised by how much it meant to me - and from various WhatsApp groups I’m on, it meant a lot to many of us.

As I stood outside I wondered why. Heard cheering, one nurse lives there.

I can't help thinking that a big bag of shopping for each one would make more sense. Dropped off so that they don't have to drag themselves round the shops after a long day, or before they go to work.

Totally totally agree with you (and thank you for all you do)

Critical care nurse here and seeing all the posts and being in the street tonight made me cry. I appreciated it, as did a lot of my colleagues.

This isnt for the NHS its for you.
So stand outside,clap for 5 minutes and then go back in feeling all glowing and smug.hmm
Years of abuse-verbal, physical and abuse of services and now fucking clapping that not one NHS worker wants

It’s shit that this is part of your job - it’s part of mine, too, I’m a teacher.

Please accept my thanks for your work. Lots of my friends and family are nhs. That’s why I joined in and their texts seem to suggest they have enjoyed it, around the country.

In two minds about this.

It's a lovely sentiment and it genuinely moved me and thought it was lovely

BUT

It rings hollow knowing people ignored NHS staff pleas not to empty shelves and a lot of it would have been Tory voters.

It's easy to clap, but it would be more helpful to leave food on shelves so tired staff don't have to worry about food.

I'm so pleased it meant something to some of the amazing doctors and nurses. Let's not forget shop workers too as everyone helping is included.

How about if we alternate between cheering the NHS and other key workers one night, and booing the government the next?

@Justneedaprivaterant
@Larkin01
@ frankie001

Im really glad it meant something to those out there in the field...

@TheLinerunner get a grip! So dogs have barked for a while. Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? It was a one off, to show appreciation and very much deserved for those risking their own lives for us, vs bit of dog barking. Really?

Yes of course the NHS staff need a payrise, and if it was in my power to give them one I would. But I'm just an ordinary person with an ordinary job, so I went outside and joined in with a national show of solidarity. There's not much else that most of us can do. I don't vote Tory, I don't break the rules of lockdown, I don't abuse NHS staff- or any other staff for that matter. I don't know why people hate it so much, people certainly weren't doing any harm.

My Facebook page is full of NHS workers, most of whom were clapping themselves. It's like a very miserable parallel universe on here!

It’s shit that this is part of your job - it’s part of mine, too, I’m a teacher.

It’s not part of anybody’s job!! What an awful defeatist attitude.

^maybe I misunderstood what you meant. Sorry. I mean no one should have to put up with verbal abuse.

I did it, so did most of my neighbours, 2 Metre Rule respected at all times. 2 women in my street are cleaners in the hospital. We cheered when they came out. I saw quite a few neighbours who live alone and I dont see often. We all smiled and waved at eachother and then went back inside. It was an uplifting thing to happen in such a difficult time. I too had a wee weep in the kitchen afterwards.

I'm grateful to live in my common-as-fuck neighbourhood right now.

Well, watching Boris clapping the nhs, I’m doubly glad I didn’t join in.

The clapping is just a small gesture of solidarity. We're shut in our homes, there's little else we can do. It's not intended to be patronising. Don't piss all over it

Exactly. It's shit being stuck in our houses, seeing people leaning out if their windows clapping was great.

@givemeacall I saw with my own eyes and others here have said they were out in the street.

I didn't do it, pointless and patronising.

Well I didn't vote tory, and I did go out and join my neighbours in the village tonight to say thank you. All my love to all NHS workers, all frontline workers, and their families - I salute you

And watching sky news at the groups of people outside on the streets. DEFINITELY not all keeping their distance between different (non family) groups 🤦‍♀️

It’s a nice thing that lasted minutes and people wanted to say thank you.

Not all of us voted conservative (in fact in reality the majority did not)
Not all of us agree with NHS cuts
Most of us didn’t stockpile
Most of us are bloody trying to keep distance
Yes, people didn’t realise the severity at first but I think most people thankfully are now following the guidance!
How does anyone know what people clapping do for a living? Volunteer for? What they’re doing to help others in this time?
It’s not just a case of “help rather than clap” - don’t assume everyone is doing nothing. In a difficult and scary time it was a nice moment.

@firstimemamma well myself or any of my colleagues didn't feel patronised. In fact its given us the boost we've needed when many of us are exhausted and separated from our loved ones

I clapped tonight for my DD1 who is frontline and has volunteered for additional shifts since the beginning of the epidemic, I also clapped for friends and work mates who are also on the front line, nhs workers, fire service, teachers, shop and bog standard council workers, all who have no option but to go in to the pandemic that so many of us are trying to avoid. They step where many fear to go

Notredamn, the houses on one side of my road open straight out onto the street. People stayed at their own door, 2 metre rule respected.

So many mean-spirited people on this thread. None of us thought it would help with improvements to the NHS or more value added to their workers. It was just a sign of gratitude, it’s all we can do right now.

How can any of you criticise that?