NHS staff now come after care homes for vaccine

[UnlimitedUnspecific]

The government have just changed their plans - now care homes will get the vaccine before the NHS, which in reality means instead of the NHS at this point since there are only 800,000 vaccines and 1.2 million people in care homes.

I am furious. The PPE provided to doctors and nurses doesn't properly protect them from the HUGE viral load of a patient ill enough to be hospitalised. Only yesterday the government admitted that the rate of Covid-19 infections caught INSIDE hospitals was far too high, and yet doctors and nurses will have to wait, what I expect will be weeks or months for a vaccination. In the meantime, their health and lives and those of their families, and those of other patients in hospital, other staff in hospital, people whose work takes them into hospital or transport workers serving hospitals - all at high risk.

(posted this on another thread already, but it will be lost in the comments)

Care homes can be shielded, NHS staff have a plastic pinny and a paper mask.

Forgot to add. I really don’t mind who goes first, I’m no more important than anyone else but I do think that the big u turn was a big punch in the face.

The disappointment/upset is the responsibility of the government. They really should have had a plan in place before getting hopes up. I think many people are so traumatised, hard not to be emotional.

Nurses and frontline NHS staff were not responsible for that. That decision was well above their paygrade. It was a shit choice to make but it was not the fault of frontline NHS staff. The NHS were responsible for it and now the NHS think they are the priority.

the big u turn was a big punch in the face

What 'big u turn'?

Care home residents and staff have been at the top of every published priority list since at least September

@Frequency you are absolutely right !

What’s the average amount of time a care home resident lives?
Front line NHS workers should absolutely be vaccinated first along with care workers

It has been said on this thread that no more batches of this vaccine will be coming, but that certainly isn't true in my part of the UK

Only one batch has been authorised by the MHRA. It’s possible future batches won’t be authorised. However nobody knows yet.

However, us and the residents are tested regularly, we're closed to all but essential visitors and we are essentially a closed group. You don't go home then, don't go shopping, no travel to work? Unusual home.

Hospitals aren't, and I think they need to be done first, if they applied some minor organisation skills, you've got buildings there full of people that are medically trained to give injections Many care homes have staff who are trained to give injections or community nursing doing regular visits.

The very simple and totally uncomplicated place to start would be inviting care home staff to go to hospitals, if hospital staff were being vaccinated perfectly easy to include carers.

@ancientgran

No need to reignite. Why not? Do you think some people might be just a little bit ashamed of how quick they were to push the care homes out of the way?

That's not nice. No one was being pushed out of the way. It was pretty cruel to tell people exactly what hospitals would be getting the vaccine for their staff and on what day, and then do (another) U-turn. NHS frontline staff are already second on the priority list precisely because they are at high risk. And as I have repeatedly said, I am very happy for the care home residents and staff. I trust this will improve their lives. Someone has to benefit from those 800,000 vaccines. And yes, it is not also not nice to reignite animosity among posters who have worked things through and come to an understanding that they are both at high risk, both need the vaccine, but someone has to go first.

OP.... I dont care if the thread has ‘moved on’

This is my OPINION !!!!

@WiseUpJanetWeiss

It has been said on this thread that no more batches of this vaccine will be coming, but that certainly isn't true in my part of the UK

Only one batch has been authorised by the MHRA. It’s possible future batches won’t be authorised. However nobody knows yet.

This is a very good point.

The MHRA authorisation was for ONE batch!

What’s the average amount of time a care home resident lives?

Well I know people who have been in a care home for 40 plus years. If the average is one year does it make any difference to someone who is going to be there for 40 years?

@ColdNovemberNights

OP.... I dont care if the thread has ‘moved on’

This is my OPINION !!!!

OK, but leave me out of it then

I have replied to people, conclusions were drawn.

If you want to restart a debate, go ahead.

Not my thread from this point on.

[Hides thread]

@WiseUpJanetWeiss

It has been said on this thread that no more batches of this vaccine will be coming, but that certainly isn't true in my part of the UK

Only one batch has been authorised by the MHRA. It’s possible future batches won’t be authorised. However nobody knows yet.

So this is lies??

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55190426

You want me to read 265 posts?!?! 😂

My opinion will still be the same

Im not restarting a debate!

Just saying what i THINK!!!!!!!

I havent got time for a debate 😂

That's not nice. Some of the comments have been very very unpleasant, comparing one NHS workers life to 8 elderly people in a care home, the attitude of how long will they live any way, the attitude that NHS staff are tired, stressed and ill as if care workers aren't.

I think this has shown how basically unpleasant a large part of society is and it is quite shocking.

@ancientgran

What’s the average amount of time a care home resident lives?

Well I know people who have been in a care home for 40 plus years. If the average is one year does it make any difference to someone who is going to be there for 40 years?

I’m not sure that vaccinating people in their 90s is a good use of limited vaccines but I realise that won’t be a popular option

@VikingVolva last Thursday it was changed from care homes to nhs and then yesterday back to care homes. It was cruel to give a date and name which trusts would be getting it.

@ancientgran

That's not nice. Some of the comments have been very very unpleasant, comparing one NHS workers life to 8 elderly people in a care home, the attitude of how long will they live any way, the attitude that NHS staff are tired, stressed and ill as if care workers aren't.

I think this has shown how basically unpleasant a large part of society is and it is quite shocking.

Agree.

Absolutely agree we should vaccinate in the hubs including carers. Vaccinating in a time effective/ non wasteful way - more difficult for care home residents to attend I agree, but should be possible.
I think allocating doses to care homes without be very wasteful - there will be people changing their minds, not fit on the day etc
Not convinced the government have the ability or care enough to facilitate.

@ancientgran many pp discussed what a difficult time carers have had.

@PrivateD00r

I completely disagree with you. Firstly, care home residents are suffering more than anyone, through not being able to see family. We know this leads to a decline in their physical and mental health. They need to be given the vaccine in order to facilitate visitation. They are also incredibly vulnerable to serious illness with the virus.

We have been at this since March, we can wait another few weeks. We are still lucky that we will be offered it very soon. I agree the PPE is inadequate, I recently caught covid in work myself so I do understand. But as a group, care home residents are the most at risk from this virus so they must be prioritised. It is the right thing to do.

and as the gvnt were shipping out old people from hospitals without testing (I know for a fact they were doing it at the beginning, and probably still doing it).

Older people are more at risk than younger - i agree NHS and medical staff should be right up there near the front, but knowing the gvnt they are probably thinking they can get some more testing done on people they dont think are very important

However, us and the residents are tested regularly, we're closed to all but essential visitors and we are essentially a closed group. You don't go home then, don't go shopping, no travel to work? Unusual home

Don't be facetious @ancientgran. Of course the care staff go home, however we don't have the numbers of people trooping through that hospitals do and we are tested weekly, the residents are tested regularly, and anything but the most essential appointments within the home from doctors and nurses are done by phone/video call. Because of the steps taken, a care home is a less risky place than a & e. And by closed group I mean the same tested people regularly, not open for anyone to walk in.
Also nursing homes have trained nurses that could potentially give the vaccine, but residential don't. Yes the community nursing teams who are coming in for essential dressings etc could be doing it on an essential visit - once they've been done themselves, it makes sense to have those traveling from place to place vaccinated first - like NHS community nurses, so they can effectively vaccinate others.

So this is lies??

Delivery =/= batch. One batch of (apparently) 800K doses has been authorised. The deliveries will be staggered.

No one knows whether the subsequent batches will be approved. I’d be surprised if they weren’t.