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?! 😫

but the general public is being slammed for considering mixing with anyone indoors

You are making that up. And are a goady fucker.

@Unsure33 if mixing with vulnerable people, then we should take the precautions that we always have for flu, norovirus etc. Don't see them unnecessarily when you are ill. Take LFT's if you feel you need to. Let the vulnerable decide if they want to take the risk and mix.

As for your comment on unvaccinated people, the vast majority of people are vaccinated. And a huge number of those that aren't have already had Covid.

@rrhuth and @LethargicActress exactly what you said.

You don’t sound very pleased for them OP

@ColleysMill Wine and cheese anyone ????

Oh defo not for the populous, there'll be some outraged MNetters at that suggestion, you need to save the cheese for tea/coffee!

I hope they enjoyed it. I imagine most have already had covid over the last 20 months, are triple vaccinated and are knackered. Stop judging and wish them some respite.

Can’t get worked up about this. Going to work every day is probably far riskier. Very last people I’d begrudge a bit of letting off steam after the time they’ve had.

I’m am absolutely sick of the attitude from some people, that they own nhs staff and feel they have some right to dictate.

I remember when the pandemic began, I was concerned about childcare as I’m in a frontline health worker. My DP was not a key worker, but still had to work, not from home but, think a role that could be done without coming into contact others, so he was not furloughed and his employer would not furlough him.
my dc had a short period where they were not accepted into childcare/school due to only one of us having key worker status.
Dp wage is maybe three times mine and pays for the house we live in/main bills. there were people saying that if it came to it, he should stay at home without pay so I could go into work, and we would just have to deal with the consequences of the mortgage not being paid.

People on here and irl actually were saying that.

As it was, the school relented and took dc in.
But I still can’t believe that there are people thought we should sacrifice the family home my kids stability and god knows what else.

I would bet it’s these same people whinging their miserable faces off if an nhs worker dares claim 10% off somewhere.

And these same people who will latch onto the few grabby healthcare workers that have tried to get freebies, then tarnished all with the same brush, just to have a pop.
I’d bet most of those with the time/inclination to moan were sat working smugly from home too.

And now here we are, nearly two years later, and apparently nhs staff shouldn’t be socialising.
Even though the rest of the population still can.

I Personally haven’t been out. But if other teams
Want to, then let them get on with it.

We are just normal people doing a job. we aren’t owned by anyone and we shouldn’t have to sacrifice our families, our social life or anything else, any more than the rest of the uk.

DS works for NHS and his was cancelled.

NHS staff are more likely to have been boosted over a month ago (plus a previous infection) and will be testing at least twice weekly, if not more depending on Trust policy/type of test so they may feel like the risk is worth taking. What's the difference between going out for a meal with colleagues and sitting in a tiny, unventilated clinic room with untested, unvaccinated members of the public who have declared themselves exempt from wearing a mask?

Our Trust has asked us to cancel Christmas parties and gatherings within work and reminded us that we should be 'responsible' out of work. The thing is most of us currently off with Covid in my Trust have caught it from our primary aged children, as the government allows covid to spread unhindered through schools. There are also significantly more staff off with stress and anxiety than covid and they take longer out of the workplace. Perhaps the government could improve pay and conditions and we'd have less staff off due to poor mental health and staff might be more inclined to cancel their Christmas parties. I mean lets face it the goverment conveniently forgot to cancel theirs last year!

The OP didn't come back then? Hopefully she's so embarrassed by what she's reading she's having some reflection time.

Yeah, goady plopper

Imagine starting a thread like this. Having a go at Drs and Nurses. Pathetic

I work in government and ours was cancelled. My dh is a NHS doctor and won't be able to go to any Christmas parties as after covid (and other factors) he's had a major mental breakdown. He can barely leave the house and I'm not sure he will ever return to work.
I don't even care if this is outing.
I am angered by your post and am sad my dh can't even consider a Christmas party. Neither can his colleagues I imagine.

I am sorry @CottonSock

I think there are many people who have worked on the frontline of the NHS and social care whose lives will never be the same again. I wish him, and you, a peaceful Christmas.

One of my kids is a nurse and their Christmas party was cancelled. I think it was a majority decision as they felt it would be chaos if lots of them got covid.

Thank you @AnyFucker. I am a long term mumsnetter so I know it's probably impacted you too.

I know my dh better than anyone and still underestimated the impact. He complained about work, but I complained about having to work and homeschool primary age kids.
Anyway, not to derail the thread. I may start another. I hope the NHS can recover.
Nurses, doctors and all other staff. Enjoy your Christmas parties. Keep talking.

Ours got cancelled.

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but I don't care. Let them have their one Christmas outing and tiny shred of normality from the last couple of years. Let's not forget we were all at work sweating to death in head to foot PPE watching footage of thousands of people crammed into beaches in the summer lockdowns. And now scores of people saying they wont comply to restrictions anyway. Yet it's not okay for NHS staff to have one night of what everyone else is doing/can do.

@Unsure33 do you think NHS staff wear full ppe when having lunch?

Staff rooms are tiny with barely enough space for a couple of people (and that's without social distancing). All hospital and outside cafes closed in lockdown, benches taped up, how do you think they ate all through the last January lockdown?

Oh God yet another post from someone who can't mind their own bloody business. You hide away all you want and let other people get on with business of living.

[quote morechocolateneededtoday]@Unsure33 do you think NHS staff wear full ppe when having lunch?

Staff rooms are tiny with barely enough space for a couple of people (and that's without social distancing). All hospital and outside cafes closed in lockdown, benches taped up, how do you think they ate all through the last January lockdown?[/quote]
Be careful, you mention NHS staff having lunch. The OP and other posters will be fuming if they find out. NHS staff should do a full 12 hour shift without breaks.

@Glitterbells

I’m am absolutely sick of the attitude from some people, that they own nhs staff and feel they have some right to dictate.

I remember when the pandemic began, I was concerned about childcare as I’m in a frontline health worker. My DP was not a key worker, but still had to work, not from home but, think a role that could be done without coming into contact others, so he was not furloughed and his employer would not furlough him.
my dc had a short period where they were not accepted into childcare/school due to only one of us having key worker status.
Dp wage is maybe three times mine and pays for the house we live in/main bills. there were people saying that if it came to it, he should stay at home without pay so I could go into work, and we would just have to deal with the consequences of the mortgage not being paid.

People on here and irl actually were saying that.

As it was, the school relented and took dc in.
But I still can’t believe that there are people thought we should sacrifice the family home my kids stability and god knows what else.

I would bet it’s these same people whinging their miserable faces off if an nhs worker dares claim 10% off somewhere.

And these same people who will latch onto the few grabby healthcare workers that have tried to get freebies, then tarnished all with the same brush, just to have a pop.
I’d bet most of those with the time/inclination to moan were sat working smugly from home too.

And now here we are, nearly two years later, and apparently nhs staff shouldn’t be socialising.
Even though the rest of the population still can.

I Personally haven’t been out. But if other teams
Want to, then let them get on with it.

We are just normal people doing a job. we aren’t owned by anyone and we shouldn’t have to sacrifice our families, our social life or anything else, any more than the rest of the uk.

100% this. I clearly remember similar attacks when I dared send my child to nursery in Jan because DH can wfh (is a keyworker) and I was f2f. His wage is also triple mine and he could not watch a 3 and 4 year old alone whilst working but didn't stop the attacks.

There was also the incense that NHS workers dare even consider going abroad in summer 2020 when the government allowed it. God forbid they may want a break after the hell of the first lockdown

Then there's the constant comments that they are paid plenty to live on and why should they dare dream of any pay increase when other industries have missed out. God forbid they actually need to be able to keep up with cost of living! People don't seem to realise the poor pay and conditions is why there are so many vacancies right now

OP, leave us be. NHS staff are not "heroes", not wondrous things to be put on pedestals, we can't all constantly take the entire population's well-being on our shoulders endlessly. We are just normal people making decisions based on the same information that anyone else gets in this country. Stop being such a hypocrite after going to your own Christmas party.

@musicalfrog

Good for them, they need to let their hair down and decompress.

So does everyone else

@DockOTheBay everyone else can if they want to?

@timtam23

OP, leave us be. NHS staff are not "heroes", not wondrous things to be put on pedestals, we can't all constantly take the entire population's well-being on our shoulders endlessly. We are just normal people making decisions based on the same information that anyone else gets in this country. Stop being such a hypocrite after going to your own Christmas party.

This is important, isn't it? The hero narrative means that anyone who doesn't willingly sacrifice everything for their role isn't heroic any more and must be vilified. Public servants are not owned by the public. They're entitled to their downtime just as much as anyone else is