Clapping outside hospitals has got to stop

[Wired4sound]

A friend forwarded me this video -

www.facebook.com/barnsleychronicleonline/videos/158413535522368/

Far too many people all congregated together, some hugging and kissing. NHS staff outside in their uniforms and someone in their wisdom invited the local council and the local council housing team up to be clapped too!!!

Just WTAF!

"Same down here in East Sussex. We also had 15 police cars lined up. They were all lined up clapping near each other."

What harm does that do? They're in their cars!

Barnsley Council Safer Neighbourhood Services!

In a way, I understand these gatherings - a substitute for the normal socialising that we've all lost. Not condoning the lack of distancing going on - just kind of understand what draws people to stage and attend these 'parties'.

This whole clapping for the NHS is pathetic, it needs to stop.

The NHS needs PPE and pay rises, not a bunch of idiots clapping like performing Seals.

I know, anyone with any sort of public profile now feels obliged to go and join the madness. I also feel for the staff, police etc who are obliged to stand outside clapping. If they've got 10min to spare, I'm sure they'd rather have a sit down and a cuppa.

@JudyCoolibar
What do you think is opposite the hospital?

I’m glad it’s not just me.

And the number of staff on Facebook defending it and saying we need to “get behind the NHS” meanwhile you’ve got a midwife from ward A, stood next to a cleaner from ward B, stood next to someone from the council, stood next to Someone from the police, stood next to Mary who “took her daily exercise” to have a look!

Our children aren’t in school, people are dying, businesses are going to the wall.

What the actual fuck?!

Glad it's not just me.
Unfortunately a lot of people think they're invincible 😱

**"Same down here in East Sussex. We also had 15 police cars lined up. They were all lined up clapping near each other."

What harm does that do? They're in their cars!**

They were not in their cars! Surely police have better things to do...like I don't know...hmm solve crimes? Crazy.

It is a clapping frenzy it's like some sort of hysterical release and it needs to stop the taglines of front line And saving lifes. Is no t helping.

Agree with you all.
Cheesy as Hell and an infection control nightmare.
I work in the NHS and am the mother of 2 student nurses.
We need proper financing and proper PPE not this embarrassment.

Very apt.

I had a bit of a run in last week on Facebook with a woman from the next street over from mine. She announced the name of her street and said 'better do better with the clapping this week'. No. People are out banging pans, screaming and shouting and it scares my DS so we don't take part. Windows closed and TV turned up. I don't see what it's doing other than encouraging people to gather and make the situation worse

Just
Yes, that is very apt!

The video on Westminster Bridge is actually infuriating. People stood there in joggers with kids on their shoulders about 2 inches apart. I give up. Lets all stop social distancing because it seems to be ok for those in London to not do it

It has become a focus for TV and. Social media because there is nothing else to do so they have made a Thursday an event so it has grown arms and legs .how do we get people to bloody calm down?

Where I live (in Paris) we clap every night, but people lean out of their windows they don't come onto to street (they'd undoubtedly be fined if they did). Here it's a chance to wave to people you don't know and probably wouldn't recognise on the ground, but who you can hear clapping across the rooftops. For me it is the perfect illustration of social distancing and the clapping acknowledges we are all in the same boat, isolating in our little apartments even if we can't see each other. We've started looking out for certain windows and worry if their occupants don't appear. For me it's a moment in the day when you break your isolation to connect with other people. You can also tell the time by it. When it is warm and we have the windows open you hear the first clap and then others take up the cue - it reminds me of the cicadas in the south of France who start up together and then stop just as suddenly. The British clapping seems quite different - especially with all the NHS staff clapping on the steps of their hospitals - it seems to break social distancing rather than emphasising it. What undermines it most for me are the scenes are of Tories clapping outside Downing street - the same Tories who applauded their own decision to freeze nurses pay.

I think it was Peterborough. Every cop, fire engine and paramedic was down the hospital clapping. Not sure why though as keyworkers themselves they should be being clapped for!

I think Paris clapping sounds very civilisedLilianGish the clapping here is just ott.

Why are the people on Westminster bridge clapping towards parliament instead of St Thomases?
The crowds are showing Social media one upmanship at its worst.

Clapping at home gives everyone a chance to check their neighbours are okay and I'll be honest it's 2 minutes where I feel less alone but no one should feel forced or obligated to. Making a journey to do it is not in the spirit of lockdown at all.

That video is absolute madness, what the hell are the police thinking? I despair.

@LillianGish the Paris clapping sounds sensible - for solidarity not to show off. Similar to the music and clapping that went on in Italy. My impression is that the UK clap was similar when it first started, but is getting out of control.

Also agree with everything @BovaryX said.

Most of the people in the Westminster Bridge video do seem to be looking towards St Thomas's. Other than the fools who are too busy filming.

I don't understand why the police aren't sending people home. No-one lives on Westminster Bridge so they're not standing outside their houses. And there's a lot of people. It's actually insulting to the staff working hard in the hospital. It's a joke.

@ashmts totally take your point - particularly within the NHS (how it's going to deal with the backlog and for how long it can just sideline everything other than covid worries me, but is a different topic entirely). However, I stand by my point re the fire service and police turning up at hospitals en masse. They should be doing the clapping from their own stations. They do NOT need to go to the hospital. And off duty police should be clapping from home.

The NHS has an almost religious status in the UK. There have always been Republicans but in the current febrile atmosphere, anything less than worship of the NHS is being denounced. It is like a cult. And it prevents its myriad dysfunctions from being acknowledged. Let alone addressed

Absolutely. As soon as the virus is contained and the 'drama over', NHS staff will be having to fend off violence and aggression from patients and visitors to their hospitals again. The 'Angels' will have toppled off their pedestals and this clapping, whilst a nice idea in abstract is ultimately all about making the clappers feel good.

There are no words to express enough disgust about the people going to hospitals to clap. I can't visit my mum but these morons can go to clap? Insane. Lockdown means nothing.

Honestly I am so cross.

How do we tag the daily mail and Piers Morgan?

same here local hospital joe public turning up standing close clapping-whats the fucking point