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Original poster

NHS and socialising

73 replies

Cococola · 17/12/2021 14:50

Interested to know people's thoughts

I work in the NHS (triple jabbed, daily LFTs). We have been advised to be very careful with socialising and have known others getting told they shouldn't be going for drinks with any colleagues. I completely understand the rationale but I feel like with 2 years of complete graft they seem to have forgotten were humans with family and lives too.

Just feeling deflated as I want to see some friends that I haven't seen since pre pandemic without feeling guilty about it.

Prepared to be flamed.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 17/12/2021 19:40

@Kshhuxnxk wind up merchant. Start your own thread about supermarket workers or binmen or whatever and you will get support

DontKeepTheFaith · 17/12/2021 20:06

So I am NHS and of course they can’t dictate what you do but it is sensible advice not to socialize with colleagues from your own department currently.

I work on a ward and if we all went out together and were exposed to COVID, there would not be enough staff to keep the ward safe! None of us want that so we all do what we feel we should to keep everyone safe.

With regards to family and friends, we all have to make our own choices. I have made the choice to reduce social contact, I’m antisocial anyway so that doesn’t mean much but I’m doing less than normal due to COVID. That is my choice but it doesn’t feel like much of a choice. Having been nursing for more than 20 years, I think I am completely conditioned to prioritize my patients🤷‍♀️

Original poster
Cococola · 17/12/2021 20:56

To the poster saying it's not just the NHS that have worked through, I know that of course that's isn't true. But I don't know anyone else that has been regularly redeployed to covid wards, expected to just get on with it despite risk to family and then make them feel bad for socialising outside of work.
When I worked in a hospital I deliberately isolated myself so I didn't bring covid onto my ward, I couldn't live with myself if I did.
But it's 2 years in now and I'm only in my 20s. I guess that just sounds selfish now I've wrote it...

OP posts:
BlueCookieMonster · 17/12/2021 21:04

To the poster who reckoned the NHS would be better privatised.

It won’t be you know, it’ll just mean that some fat cat in a suit can make you bankrupt for the audacity of having cancer.

VikingOnTheFridge · 17/12/2021 21:10

@Cococola

To the poster saying it's not just the NHS that have worked through, I know that of course that's isn't true. But I don't know anyone else that has been regularly redeployed to covid wards, expected to just get on with it despite risk to family and then make them feel bad for socialising outside of work. When I worked in a hospital I deliberately isolated myself so I didn't bring covid onto my ward, I couldn't live with myself if I did. But it's 2 years in now and I'm only in my 20s. I guess that just sounds selfish now I've wrote it...
It's ok to think of yourself.
TheKeatingFive · 17/12/2021 21:12

They don't have any right to ask this of you, no.

Hazelnutbean · 17/12/2021 21:13

@OnceuponaRainbow18

I’m not NHS staff but school staff- we’ve also been told this by the head, we weren’t allowed Christmas drinks, had to gather socially distanced outdoor for a goodbye speech, and told to do LFT before we see elderly people this Christmas.
Given that you won't be at work over Christmas, that's particularly unreasonable interference!
nordica · 17/12/2021 21:17

There's a big difference between being told not to socialise with colleagues and being told not to see friends and family.

It makes sense in most work places at the moment to not all meet up together because omicron seems to create super spreader events with lots of people all coming down with it at the same time.

Flyingbymypants · 17/12/2021 21:27

I think most nhs managers will have sent similar messages.

MontagueLeo · 17/12/2021 21:40

Careful what you wish for

Original poster
Cococola · 17/12/2021 21:41

@MontagueLeo

Careful what you wish for
Huh?
OP posts:
MontagueLeo · 17/12/2021 21:43

Sorry, it was meant as a response to @Kshhuxnxk who looks forward to the privatisation of the nhs

curtains15 · 17/12/2021 21:46

I work for the NHS. They wouldn't dream of telling us what to do outside work. i do as I please in my own time.

Essemce · 17/12/2021 23:00

Social care worker here. Work don't own me and I test 4 times a week. I am. Getting on with my Xmas plans and trying to live a bit. Still following guidelines and wearing a mask.

Riddlediddle · 17/12/2021 23:23

NHS here. Since Weds we've had daily comms from CEO saying that any work Christmas gatherings need to be cancelled plus we should give strong consideration to cancelling any other personal social events. I personally didn't have anything planned so not an issue for me however I don't agree in being told what we can and can't do like we are children. Working in the NHS is hard. Everyday we graft solidly with no breaks always putting other people's needs before our own. We test daily, we wear PPE constantly, our hands are sore from the constant anti bac. I draw the line at now being told what we can and can't do in our personal time. Most people don't have plans anyway but the fact we are being told what to do has really got everyone's backs up!

Original poster
Cococola · 18/12/2021 08:13

twitter.com/DrKateJMiller/status/1471905172922241028?t=vLRNtQCuUUwuxqNBd7jvqg&s=19

It's this in a nutshell really 😂

OP posts:
Toastmost · 18/12/2021 08:16

I can see why they are saying no parties organised through work, lots of workplaces are saying that and realistically if someone has it and it passes through the whole team that wouldn't be good. Other than that though as long as not breaking the law I'd do what you want to do, as everyone else is.

VikingOnTheFridge · 18/12/2021 08:37

@Riddlediddle

NHS here. Since Weds we've had daily comms from CEO saying that any work Christmas gatherings need to be cancelled plus we should give strong consideration to cancelling any other personal social events. I personally didn't have anything planned so not an issue for me however I don't agree in being told what we can and can't do like we are children. Working in the NHS is hard. Everyday we graft solidly with no breaks always putting other people's needs before our own. We test daily, we wear PPE constantly, our hands are sore from the constant anti bac. I draw the line at now being told what we can and can't do in our personal time. Most people don't have plans anyway but the fact we are being told what to do has really got everyone's backs up!
Rightly so. Your CEOs are grossly overstepping.
Original poster
Cococola · 18/12/2021 08:41

@Riddlediddle

NHS here. Since Weds we've had daily comms from CEO saying that any work Christmas gatherings need to be cancelled plus we should give strong consideration to cancelling any other personal social events. I personally didn't have anything planned so not an issue for me however I don't agree in being told what we can and can't do like we are children. Working in the NHS is hard. Everyday we graft solidly with no breaks always putting other people's needs before our own. We test daily, we wear PPE constantly, our hands are sore from the constant anti bac. I draw the line at now being told what we can and can't do in our personal time. Most people don't have plans anyway but the fact we are being told what to do has really got everyone's backs up!
That's what I mean! I feel like we constantly give it everything, and do everything to protect others (e.g. following all procedures with vaccines, testing, PPE) and then it still doesn't feel good enough and we have to give the only thing that's keeping me going which is seeing others. Seeing noone outside of my household for months last year nearly broke me, and we have to look after ourselves too.
OP posts:
EllaPaella · 18/12/2021 08:52

I'm NHS (nurse) and my husband is a Doctor. We are making our own risk assessments and socialising as we want to over the next couple of weeks.
While I don't particularly want to sit in a football stadium or packed theatre/cinema, I am going to go out for meals and a few drinks with small groups of friends and tonight we are going to a friends house for drinks and food.
Imo we have gone above and beyond for other people over the last 18 months, been triple jabbed, made many many sacrifices and quite frankly I am not having my employer dictate to me how I live my life outside work.

Shadeelane · 18/12/2021 09:56

Ridiculous. It's no-one's business but your own. Go meet with your friends. You're human beings for goodness sake not androids. I read a comment on another thread a few weeks back from someone saying school staff shouldn't be socialising. 🤨 But she was ok with them sitting on a park bench socially distanced. Again. No one else's BLOODY BUSINESS 🤨🤨🤨

LethargicActress · 18/12/2021 09:59

Your employer has no right to even try and dictate what you do outside of work hours. Go out and have fun while you can.

OpalOwl · 18/12/2021 10:01

My company prohibits us from meeting anyone from work outside of work. Staff have been given warnings for this and one woman was dismissed.
We work 10 hour shifts in often unventilated rooms and masks are prohibited (nursery) makes no sense at all.

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