Does anyone find sobbing nurses etc in The News every night, in any way helpful?

[Miljea]

.... or does this footage rapidly lose its impact?

I sort of feel 'Yes, we know, and if the first months of footage failed to shock and awe, this won't!'. If anything, all it does is to numb people.

Ditto the non-contextualised rolling statistics.

Do you think it's an actual strategy, to bombard us with this? If it is, I fear it's not working.

FTR I'm coalface, Covid facing, full PPE NHS, tho not ICU.

But I have got up and personal with Covid that is killing people. Including in ICU.

But I don't think the News' blanket slightly blurry footage of HCPs all kitted up going about their business, interspersed with interviews with sobbing nurses- really helps. I have even heard the 'for God's sake, it's their job' remarks (at the hairdressers, when they were briefly open, TV on).

That person was argued with by her mate, but I do wonder whether too much of this sort of coverage makes people weary of it.

There needs to be some coverage of the realities of covid in the NHS, but it needs to be balanced with solid information of what it’s usually like in the NHS. The NHS has only ever done a good job depended on what condition you have, it has never offered high quality all round and we need to stop glorifying it as something amazing.

The coverage also needs to be balanced with some of the other affects of covid that don’t happen in hospitals. Where’s all the information about the numbers of people that have been put on anti depressants or who have committed suicide because of lockdown, about the amount of people who have lost their income, or who have missed significant life events that can never be got back.

@TurquoiseBaubles

Mumsnet seems to have gone from teacher bashing (bad) to nurse bashing (good) in the last couple of weeks.

I doubt they cry on purpose hmm. Three patients died on dd's ward last night. She called me crying on her way home this morning, and has gone back in this evening for her fourth 14 hour shift of the week.

The reports may be pointless, and may be hard to watch, but ffs the lack of sympathy on this and many other threads is despicable.

You'll all be glad to know that she won't be sobbing over patients much longer. She has quit, as have many of the nurses she has worked with over the last ten months.

Totally agree. People are sick of hearing about it? Imagine having to actually live that, shift after shift. I understand the reason for debating how helpful or otherwise these reports might be but I'm astonished at the lack of empathy for HCPs in many posts on this thread.

@Billie18 Yep, you make a good point. Patients and staff alike being exploited. I know they're trying to ramp up the fear so people don't get complacent now, but something about it feels voyeuristic and distasteful.

I think it is inportant to be seen. I feel the camera are intrusive but the NHS staff deal with death and very sick people pre covid but the fact they are so distressed shows how much worse covid is in numbers and sickness and in the fact people cant be visited by loved ones.
More than one person per family in criticle condition is happening far more often than in normal circumstances. Only being able to discuss patient condition on phone. Not being able to move patients to higher need care due to no beds. The message that covid can effect young healthy people too is important as this is still denied by too many who still believe you need to be old or with life limiting underlying health conditions to become ill with more than a minor illness.
We have been very cautious throughout and continue to be but it definately reminds about the importance not to let guard down and hopefully it will make others be cautious too

it’s purely being put out to increase compliance and provoke fear

Exactly.

I said something similar and my post was deleted.

I agree with Katie517 post

I just see it as relentless propaganda. If anything, it's turned my mind the other way - all I think now, is at least they have a job. Why didn't people give a fig about the NHS prior to this. I tried to apply to various roles to help out during this pandemic, a lot of the staff in the clinic I work at did. Front line, vaccinating etc. It's been impossible to get through all the red tape and none of us have been called up. The NHS has over 100,000 vacancies. The government doesn't give a shiny one about the NHS, so why should I.

I don't see much coverage on the impact of this anywhere else. The impact of lockdown/tiers. I'm on the excluded page - those are the people my heart breaks for, people who are literally destitute. Financially and mentally broken. The government has literally decided we don't matter. There is so much more going on than c19, it isn't the only thing killing people.

'It needs to be seen and these people have been working so hard and are only human.They are not used to people dying in such large numbers.'

Yes it needs to be shown. There are too many head in the sand 'but me civil liberties' types who think it is people dying peacefully who are probably ancient and at and end of life stage anyway. It isn't, critical care is totally overwhelmed with often younger patients. If it takes a sobbing nurse to make one person think about not mixing households then it's worth it.

Sorry it spoils your telly viewing op. Maybe try a nice little mini series on Netflix?

It's presumably broadcast to counteract Covid denier claims that hospitals are empty and it's all a hoax. A shocking number of people believe that this is a plandemic/scamdemic and it horrified me every time I hear of protests outside hospitals by groups who insist it's all bullshit.

Most people wouldn't know what's going on in hospitals unless they worked there. The deniers often call for proof and these news reports are supposed to be that.

Rather than "news" it was a cut and paste film attempting to provoke emotion and scare people.

This. It's irresponsible.

@NailsNeedDoing

There needs to be some coverage of the realities of covid in the NHS, but it needs to be balanced with solid information of what it’s usually like in the NHS. The NHS has only ever done a good job depended on what condition you have, it has never offered high quality all round and we need to stop glorifying it as something amazing.

The coverage also needs to be balanced with some of the other affects of covid that don’t happen in hospitals. Where’s all the information about the numbers of people that have been put on anti depressants or who have committed suicide because of lockdown, about the amount of people who have lost their income, or who have missed significant life events that can never be got back.

My local newspaper has covered some suicides due to Covid and people who have died after their cancer treatment was stopped. It's terribly sad to read about how people haven't been coping at all with lockdown for a few months leading up to it. There was one terribly sad story about a teenage boy who just couldn't cope with the loneliness at all, posted extensively about it online, and was found dead by his parents in his bedroom.

But you hear nothing about these types of stories on the increasingly patronising news. It doesn't fit the narrative that the lockdown is best for everyone. But those are real families, not experienced health professionals, who are struggling with the loss of young members of their families. No one claps for them, or tells them what a valuable part of society they are. It's even almost impossible for them to get counselling in person to cope with their loss.

It woke me up to how serious the situation in hospitals is. But tbf I rarely watch the news (just read it online), so I'm getting occasional exposure to the footage, rather than every day.

Oh and the person who said if soldiers got upset on battle field they are in the wrong job. During mass conflict which differs from the day to day roles of a soldier they will be effected differntly. Distress at colleagues being injured or killed in action will be different to a colleague falling or becoming ill in non conflict situations. Yes still upsetting but in no way the same as having ro dodge bullets while trying to save a colleague. Many soldiers suffer PTSD after long term time in high conflict situations. Doesnt mean they are in wrong job as we need the armed forces and have been saved through their actions. We also need the NHS. We can show empahy and understanding that these arent normal times and work conditions and stress and trauma they face in these times are astounding. When they went to meducal school they would never have conceived the reality of these times

There have been numerous manipulative tactics used throughout to drive compliance. It’s very transparent.

The average person under 50 with no health conditions now knows Covid is no great threat to them. So the fear factor at an individual level had gone for many. That makes life difficult for the government.

People have had to give up so much at this stage for the ‘Covid effort’ and the strain is showing.

The nhs has been underfunded for years, was in no way prepared for something like this (pandemic planning put on the back burner) and the government has handled so much of this crisis badly. None of that is my fault (for one thing, I’d never vote for this shower of cunts).

So while I feel very sorry for nhs workers on the front line, this kind of coverage won’t change anything for me. I’m just trying to get through this lockdown as best I can.

'Where’s all the information about the numbers of people that have been put on anti depressants or who have committed suicide because of lockdown, about the amount of people who have lost their income, or who have missed significant life events that can never be got back.'

Also on the news all the time. Missed weddings, missed funerals, businesses gone under, people dying of cancer. Suicides may not make the national news but they are reported locally.

We've had weeks of mn threads saying 'but my local hospital is so quiet!' These ICU reports show exactly what is going on and if you don't like it think for a minute what it must be like working in it or having a relative in one.

Not at all helpful. The media just like to sensationalist a news story and this is what is happening with a lot of stories regarding Covid. The Tory's underfunded the NHS for 10 years and we have a shortage of 40,000 nurses and that is the reason why the hospitals are being overwhelmed during this Pandemic. Nurses are trained to deal with death and dying ...it's not easy but every day in this country children, young adults and older adults die of other illnesses and diseases or tragic accidents but we don't have camera crews shoving a camera in these patients faces of the nurses looking after them.

@rogueantimatter

I find it annoying for 3 reasons.

Nobody in these pieces ever takes the government to task for putting frontline medics in this hideous situation.

The horrifically difficult situation so many other people are in isn't covered anything like as often.

It feels like lazy journalism.

This is a good point.

@iailwfsaidc

Really annoys me. I know the conditions are awful so I shouldn't be pissed off when I see people crying about it but I am. Nobody's listening to me sobbing. I'm single. Live alone. Both parents dead. No brothers and sisters. Haven't seen any of my friends since the summer when the restrictions in the country I live in were briefly eased. My business is going down the toilet rapidly. I've got next to no money coming in. I'm not getting government help. I cannot afford to buy anything about from the absolute basics of food.

I'm not the only one suffering like this.
Then we have to watch nurses crying on TV. It does make me angry and that probably does make me a bad person.

@iailwfsaidc

'It was on the news right? So why would journalists have that agenda? We are at the absolute peak of a shitty pandemic...And if the result is that it encourages people to not be complacent what is wrong with that'

I know, anyone would think Coronation Street had been cancelled and an ICU report in its place.

It isn't an 'agenda' it is indeed the news so don't watch the news if you can't cope with it. Alternatively act like a grown up, watch it, learn and maybe understand why these restrictions are so necessary.

Were the two young patients who were seriously ill being exploited to scare people?

Yes, of course they were.

Where’s all the information about the numbers of people that have been put on anti depressants or who have committed suicide because of lockdown, about the amount of people who have lost their income, or who have missed significant life events that can never be got back.

This.

I just watched it. It was full on.

I have every sympathy and so grateful to people working there, or worse.

I can’t say much about the filmers as it was about getting the shot at times

Of course, it's upsetting. But we need to be reminded of just how serious this situation is. Lots of us complain and moan about the inconvenience, but it is nothing compared to the situation in our hospitals at the moment. We need a reminder to help us resolve to keep following the rules.

Nurses are trained to deal with death and dying ...it's not easy but every day in this country children, young adults and older adults die of other illnesses and diseases or tragic accidents but we don't have camera crews shoving a camera in these patients faces of the nurses looking after them.

You clearly have no idea just how bad it really is in hospitals right now. I suggest you watch the video again.