NHS Christmas Parties

[Bobholll]

I know two nurses. Well actually I know more but these two have popped up on Facebook today. Both out having a ‘ward’ Christmas party in their local cities. Both is in restaurants, bars & clubs. About 10 people at each event. Not a spot of distancing or mask wearing among them.

I also know a couple doctors. They both had their work Christmas parties on Friday. Again, one was about 12 colleagues (doctors & nurses by the comments) all out in multiple bars. And the other about 20 people at one of those hotel Christmas events where you get a table, food, music etc.

Now I’m thrilled for them that they get to celebrate & have a lovely time. Honestly delighted. I can only imagine how shit it’s been the last couple years.. but the general public is being slammed for considering mixing with anyone indoors, let alone going out clubbing etc! I know so many cancelled parties (thankfully not mine, we got ours in early in December).. if those at the forefront of covid & how terrible it is can party on down, why is everyone else being told our actions are going to cause the NHS to collapse?! 😫

On a shift staff don’t socially distance from patients and often can’t from staff either. In staff rooms we need to eat without our masks on. So it’s less risky to have a night out with colleagues than randoms or other friends even?
And yeah- people who work for the NHS are not angels or perfect specimens of humans. They’re normal everyday people who make their own choices based on the evidence the have at that time. And they enjoy a bit of fun too!!

There are currently no restrictions so they can do what they want - I hope they had a great time

Dont blame them. Same w teachers. If you are forced to work in a high risk environment day in day out anyway, I dont see why you should suddenly have to worry about catching COVID when it comes to something fun. And God knows they must need the morale boost.

I am a community NHS AHP, I am secretly relieved work lunches and nights out were cancelled by our trust. I am also a private citizen with the same rights as you, if I follow government guidance what right do you have to criticise my social life and choices? Your goady opening post is just one example of the drip drip of negativity that NHS staff face daily. As if COVID hadn't been bad enough to work/live through, some of us were redeployed into terrible situations and still have PTSD from that.
I will be leaving the NHS to concentrate on private work. As a daughter of a trade union official and from a proud working class family background I feel sad saying that.

I'm really surprised that so many people think that this isn't a foolish thing to do especially as the consequences are already becoming apparent.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/news/london/covid-christmas-party-royal-london-hospital-whitechapel-b972351.html%3famp

Oh, OP, stop being so bitter. Keep your nose out of other people's business. Don't you get out much? Is that why you're a bit jealous?

I work for a Trust and we have asked all staff to cancel parties on Trust property and off.

We've had a really mature response and everyone who has commented have said they understand and agree it's the right thing to do.
The Trust has also offered to refund any deposits which has helped!

@JSL52

My Trust has asked everyone to cancel their works parties. Don't know how many will adhere to it though. Ours was cancelled,in a local bar / restaurant.

Same - we were asked to cancel and cancelled.

@Porcupineintherough

Dont blame them. Same w teachers. If you are forced to work in a high risk environment day in day out anyway, I dont see why you should suddenly have to worry about catching COVID when it comes to something fun. And God knows they must need the morale boost.

Absolutely this ⬆️

OP did you say something to your "friends" or just come on here to bitch about them behind their backs?
With friends like you, I'd hate to meet their enemies....

Various staff parties in my NHS trust have cancelled their parties. I don't think this was policy, just people making up their own minds.

@ThroughThickAndThin01

Ours went ahead last night. I was hoping it was going to be cancelled but it wasn’t. Our trust said it was up to individuals whether to carry on with Christmas party plans. I went, and tried to keep myself as safe as possible, I would hate my Christmas plans to be ruined. I felt pressurised to go tbh.

Why did you feel pressurised to go? They said you didn't have to, and you did, that's on you.

Good for them. I work for nhs and ours got cancelled and this weekend I have been so jealous seeing everyone else out at their Christmas party. I hope they had a brilliant time.

Oh fuck off. Anyone can go out if they want to, places are still open.

@Porcupineintherough DH’s school Xmas do went ahead on Thursday with 25 staff attending. Friday morning 1 teacher tested positive, now 10 of those attending are also positive. That’s just an example

Jesus. You sound like the total melt on the local fb group who reckons all nhs staff should only be allowed out their homes to go to work. Nothing allowed out of work and obviously no family round to their homes.

They are abiding to the rules.

If you have a problem with the rules then lobby your MP. Certainly nhs staff should not be subjected to higher restrictions.

You have a bloody check when you say you’ve had your own work party! You should be ashamed.

NHS workers should not be held to a higher standard than everyone else. If they didn't work for the NHS would you have written a post along the lines of "my friends had a work Christmas do...I think it's not sensible right now". I don't think you would have.

the general public is being slammed for considering mixing with anyone indoors, let alone going out clubbing etc! I know so many cancelled parties (thankfully not mine, we got ours in early in December).. if those at the forefront of covid & how terrible it is can party on down, why is everyone else being told our actions are going to cause the NHS to collapse?!

So, you do recognise that the NHS is collapsing? What do you think it feels like to work with covid every day, scrambling to do the bare minimum to keep patients safe?

My ward has cancelled it's party, but my heart breaks for my team. Staff are dropping like flies, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that those working Christmas Day will not be able to celebrate with their families in the days following. Have a think about that when you're eating your turkey.

I'll leave it there, or I'll end up swearing.

I don’t know where you’re getting this on but it’s only the gleeful lockdown lovers and the media. Until there’s official guidance prohibiting mixing they’re not doing anything wrong.

It’s the MN vultures having a go at people for mixing etc and only then because they might get covid and ‘ruin Christmas’.

I've seen photos of some friends on Facebook who are all out enjoying Christmas meals/parties. No social distancing, lots of selfies with them all squished up together. In my opinion, it's bonkers.

We shouldn't need the government to tell us what to do. With infections spiralling ridiculously, I think people should have sufficient common sense to think maybe going out into an indoor, crowded environment with no masks and no distancing isn't a great idea.

Also to add, I'm not defending the government. They are useless, ineffective, corrupt twats. But I'm just saying that we shouldn't need to be banned from doing something to be able to see it's perhaps not sensible.

I do get it. People are desperate for this to be over. Christmas is such a lovely time, and they just want to enjoy a night of togetherness, to try and enjoy what's been before. But if you go out and then catch COVID and your Christmas plans are ruined, you really only have yourself to blame. I know it's shit, and I know it's hard. But with such high infection rates and a virus which is highly transmissible, it really is high risk to go out for meals and parties etc.

NHS workers are no different to anyone else. I'm not sure why they're being held to a different standard in the OP.

And FWIW, although I disagree with going out, if you DO go out, I really and genuinely hope that you don't catch COVID and still enjoy a lovely Christmas. It's all just a bit shit that we're having to weigh up things that we wouldn't have thought twice about before.

@Overthebow

I do see where you’re coming from actually. I’d rather there was no lockdown and don’t see why people can’t have Christmas parties and enjoy themselves. But the NHS is shouting about getting overwhelmed, staff shortages and advocating for lockdown, but still allowing staff parties to go ahead? That is a bit hypocritical.

ODFOD. If you can’t see why everyone else shouldn’t have Christmas parties that applies to NHS staff too. You can’t expect the staff to deal with the fallout of everyone else’s Christmas parties and be the only people to have theirs restricted.

@SpidersAreShitheads

I've seen photos of some friends on Facebook who are all out enjoying Christmas meals/parties. No social distancing, lots of selfies with them all squished up together. In my opinion, it's bonkers.

We shouldn't need the government to tell us what to do. With infections spiralling ridiculously, I think people should have sufficient common sense to think maybe going out into an indoor, crowded environment with no masks and no distancing isn't a great idea.

Also to add, I'm not defending the government. They are useless, ineffective, corrupt twats. But I'm just saying that we shouldn't need to be banned from doing something to be able to see it's perhaps not sensible.

I do get it. People are desperate for this to be over. Christmas is such a lovely time, and they just want to enjoy a night of togetherness, to try and enjoy what's been before. But if you go out and then catch COVID and your Christmas plans are ruined, you really only have yourself to blame. I know it's shit, and I know it's hard. But with such high infection rates and a virus which is highly transmissible, it really is high risk to go out for meals and parties etc.

NHS workers are no different to anyone else. I'm not sure why they're being held to a different standard in the OP.

And FWIW, although I disagree with going out, if you DO go out, I really and genuinely hope that you don't catch COVID and still enjoy a lovely Christmas. It's all just a bit shit that we're having to weigh up things that we wouldn't have thought twice about before.

IME the risk averse people have already cancelled. A lot of people have already been out and about it visiting family in the lead- up so will be spending Christmas Day with their own families. Others like me/my international friends have already had our Christmas ruined because we can’t go home. Pre-Christmas parties will be our only celebration.Christmas Day isn’t going to be anything special.

If people have made their risk assessments who are you to judge?

It's an interesting situation though ....... I've never known a nhs trust pay for staff at a christmas party - they usually all pay for themselves and attend outside of work hours. So you could argue that they have no right to dictate what staff do with their own money in their own time with their social lives.

But on the other hand if your going to have whole teams wiped out if someone catches it then that's a worry too. Although that could happen (and has happened) at any given point of the pandemic.

So, are work Xmas parties during covid fine for the Tories, OP, but not now for NHS staff?

Should teachers stay at home too? And delivery drivers?

But the NHS is shouting about getting overwhelmed, staff shortages and advocating for lockdown, but still allowing staff parties to go ahead? That is a bit hypocritical

What power does the NHS have to cancel a legal party staff have paid for themselves?

I don't think any Christmas party is sensible right now, but fuck off with expecting NHS staff to take more personal risk and luve with more restriction.