Why wouldn’t the Chief Nurse confirm how many NHS staff have died?

[Skybluepink123]

I’ve just been watching today’s press briefing and don’t understand why Ruth May refused to confirm how many NHS staff had died from Covid?
She cited a lack of family consent which prevented her from talking about individuals but that wasn’t the information that the reporter sought. Also, I’m cross that she started her speech by acknowledging her happiness that the PM was getting better but failed to acknowledge the near 1000 families who are grieving today.
One more (trivial) thing. How comes she’s managed a hair cut in between press briefings?

[greenlynx]

@Wingedharpy.
I also promised to cut DH’s hair tomorrow. He would be lucky to end up looking like Ruth May. I’m rubbish with hair cutting but needs must.

[Cary2012]

My DD is an ICU nurse. Her unit was all screened on Monday.
I don't think Ruth is good either.
I like the medical guy Jonathan today.
I think she didn't know the exact numbers, and to be fair, there is a lag in recorded numbers.

[EnthusiasmIsDisturbed]

Excatly the press would be like vultures

Also all staff in the team of someone who has died need to be informed this is when they are still going to work and still putting themselves at risk a very very sensitive issue

We shall know the numbers in time there shall be enquires families, friends, colleagues and unions are not going to be silenced

[ssd]

@SomeoneElseEntirelyNow, I couldn't agree less. If he'd died, someone would replace him very quickly.

[MrsWhites]

@Bimbleboo it’s on this link below. If you scroll down it talks of pillar 2 swab testing for key workers and gives the figures there. They will be included in daily figures from today too apparently.

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

[TheLadyAnneNeville]

She’s basically a waste of time. I had to switch off. There seemed to be too many things she “couldn’t comment on”. Go home then, love.

[TheLadyAnneNeville]

@Cary2012... yes, he was excellent, wasn’t he?

[Chris5690]

It may be because she doenst want to saya figure which reflects what we are currenty being told but not the true figure, as in the future we will look back and realise she was lying. The government are not being transparent - they have a duty to report accurate figures each day so sensible decisions can be made, hiding overall numbers does more harm in the long run

[Grandmi]

My friend is an ITU manager and has been wondering why Boris was on ITU..a whiff of O2 and he is now better..am sure his bed could have been better utilised by someone more needy!

[SouthWestmom]

I agree with pp WingedHarpy think she was off re the nurses and is generally useless at the conferences.

To be fair though the conferences are more of the same. Nothing new, wittering journos

[JaniceBattersby]

The press would not stop until they had all the names? This is total and utter bullshit.

As far as I can make out, every person that has died with Covid has had their name put into the public domain by their families before it has appeared in the press. There’s been no chasing down the street and no intrusion.

More than 40 people have died in our town from Covid. We’ve reported three of the names of those people after the families asked us to. We’ve not gone chasing after a single story on this, and I can see no evidence whatsoever that any of my colleagues have.

I’m sick of this absolute mauling that journalists are taking actually. 99 per cent of us are good people trying to do a respectful, responsible job here. A tiny, tiny percentage of reporters in this county work for the tabloids ( and actually, the DM have uncovered some absolutely vitally important Covid stories before their more MN-palatable rivals).

There is zero per cent chance of any anonymised data over the number of dead health workers leading to the press behaving like ‘vultures’. The government, for whatever reason, do not want the data to be released when there is a very, very clear public interest in people knowing it.

If dozens of people were dying in your profession because their employer had been derelict in their H&S duties, don’t you think you’d have a right to know?

[EnthusiasmIsDisturbed]

I do work for the NHS. I’m not on the front line as in ICU but I am caring for people with COVID-19. And I am well aware of the lack of PPE issues thanks I am anxious constantly and I have my own family to worry about too

That’s not true names did not come out for some time (and that was questioned on here to) and there will be a number of reasons why some will not be names
won’t be published prisoners, family wishes to keep name private

Mrs Simpson of King Street Manchester isn’t of the same level of public interest as a medical professional who may have contracted the virus at work and died

What is your interest in the exact number we know colleagues are dying and we may hear an exact figure at another date but right now families need to be protected and supported colleagues need to be protected and supported more than what the public needs to know of an exact figure. That may have gone up today or yesterday

A nurse/doctor dying makes headlines creates click bait and rightly so but far more important is families privacy and the support of colleagues

[EmMac7]

@JaniceBattersby

Well said. Thank you for your work, and being willing to ask hard questions of our government. 👍

[GrumpyHoonMain]

She probably doesn’t know. I think that was a question for the NHS Director: not only should he know, he seems like he’d be pissed off enough about it to actually tell us the truth.

[starlightgazers]

Because most of the deaths so far are related to a lack of PPE for which they are culpable. Of course they can give out numbers without compromising data protection and confidentiality, they just don’t want to. But it doesn’t matter too much anyway, most seem way more worried about Boris too give too much of a shit about all the NHS workers and others who are dying in horrific numbers daily.

[Hannah021]

Not sure why you'd think ur curiosity is more important than national security?
this question will easily have an impact on the other NHS staff's moral. It serves no one other ur curious self

[BeetrootRocks]

I suspect she doesn't know.

NHS staff includes many many people past doctors and nurses.

It's the third largest employer in the world.

I don't know if they're still only recording deaths in hosp from this.

But either way, I doubt they are collating across eg all the porters, cleaners, people who do the meals, bloods people etc etc it's just so many people.

[SeaWitchly]

Hear, hear Janice Battersby!

[starlightgazers]

I’m a NHS worker and would like to know numbers, in part so I am able to assess my own risk of catching it. If they are doing it to protect the ‘morale’ of workers I’d be very surprised - no one has given a shit about our morale before now even though it’s been on the floor for years for many of us, hence why nurses and other workers have been leaving in droves. Despite that, we
already know staff are dying as we are seeing it.

[BeetrootRocks]

I think probably because the NHS employs so many people (1.5 million ish) it's hard to track, they don't know, and even if the rate was same as general population ( which I'm sure it isn't) it would be a huge number without that context.

[PutYourBackIntoit]

Of course she doesn't know and is covering her back by not giving the latest figure she's been given as she knows it's not 'real time' and knows it probably has omissions.

[ClientQ]

I think there's a lot positive. Just from people I know well there is 3 paramedics and 2 dispatchers and that's out a v small sample

[Chienloup]

Her response was not adequate. No one was asking her to break confidentiality, just to give a number.
I do think it's in the public interest, the government need to be accountable for deaths which have come about as a direct result of the lack of PPE and the lack of testing for NHS staff. A huge number of people are employed by the NHS and they have a right to have a full understanding of the risks.
HCPs have been forced to work without PPE, by not acknowledging the number of deaths, this is not acknowledging the risks.

[starlightgazers]

Chienloup - agreed. Why anyone would think 'national security" would be at threat if they released the numbers is beyond me.

This will not happen - thankfully - but IF school children started dying of this, how many of you as parents would be happy with the government keeping quiet about the numbers? Not many I am guessing because it would be relevant to you and people would demand to know. Why is it different for NHS staff?

[notangelinajolie]

If she doesn't know how many NHS staff have died well she blinkin well should.

And how has she managed to find a hairdresser who can do hair from a 2 metre distance?