No More Tiers (Enough is Enough)

[WaxOnFeckOff]

Here it is - thread 365 - was getting too twitchy....

Hi, so interview was harder than I thought. I think I let nerves get the better of me and talked too fast. Plus my camera wouldn't work! I had to apologise (via audio) and go find another laptop to use so I worry that annoyed them. I also won't hear until Thursday.

I did get offered another job today, albeit temporary. I'm now having a dilemna whereby I don't know whether to accept then decline a few days later or hold off for a few days before deciding (which makes me worry I would be rude, plus I think they want an answer now).

Anyway, has NS spoken yet as I haven't been looking at the news?

My NHS DH has been called twice, texted once and been approached in his vehicle once about his injection. Why aren't front line nhs staff being done at work?

Story on the BBC about the bumps in supply to GPs and a comment made about them not getting the pfizer one as they can only deliver in larger batches and they don't want to supply 195 doses and them only use 4. Surely though you could transport to one GP office and the rest come and collect and if they have too many doses for their over 80s, you wouldn't waste the rest, you'd do next level down, over 70s or vulnerable with the rest?

I was just reading the story on the BBC Scotland page about the problems with rolling out vaccine to GPs. Apparently we have now received 700k doses but have used barely over a third of them. It also indicated that GPs will only be allowed to use the Oxford vaccine because of the less stringent storage requirements. The chair of BMA Scotland is suggesting they be allowed to use some of the Pfizer vaccine as the Oxford one is still being manufactured, but Jason Leith says no, they are going to stick to their plan. It's not clear what exactly the Pfizer vaccine in freezers is being held back for - mass vaccination centres I suppose.

I get that they'd need to be careful to avoid wastage, but surely some flexibility in the plan is desirable, perhaps to allow some of the larger practices in the central belt (where need is greatest) to get going in the community. The BMA doctor was confident they could avoid any wastage, but Jason Leitch's response sounds like they don't think GPs can be trusted with that. As we could still be several weeks away from a mass rollout, this rigid adherence to the plan come what may seems a bit narrow minded.

Surely some of the larger central belt practices could effectively team up? We're in a small town now but everywhere I've lived in Edinburgh there were multiple practices all within walking distance of each other let alone a short bus ride. If they need a bigger space then libraries, schools, churches, community centres?

I don't know what the plan is but it can't both be time critical to get vaccinations done as us community people are spreading it willy nilly and being okay to follow "the plan" as it's not really important to get those in the community done...

Maybe the plan is to be the country that waste the least amount of vaccine (stopping waste is obviously a good thing) but given the amount of single use PPE used and wasted every day, this will be a drop in the ocean and the priority is surely a balance - I can't see that having the best part or 450k or more vaccines sitting unused is the best plan?

Who has drawn the short straw to watch the update today and tell us the important bits?

According to travelling tabby Northern Ireland have vaccinated the highest percentage and by region London the lowest. There's a massive variety across the UK - most authorities in Scotland have all care homes done whereas in other nations they have done it purely by age. I don't think there's any terrible issues or incompetence here. The south east of England and Wales have lots of remote areas and sparse populations too.
If only we had more data about vaccine supply in the public domain, we could see whether there is unused vaccine or unfair distribution... oh wait... we used to..

Iwillneverbesatisfied fingers crossed for the interview. Usual advice is take the offer and turn down later if you need to. For temp jobs they usually keep a list of alternates for this eventuality.

My DD2 is a hopeless speller and took ages to learn to read - reading music was similar so suspect either due to dyslexia or being left handed. I can't even remember the other 2 learning to spell because they just could. The danger spelling is that it is very demoralising to be focusing on the negative all the time. It is also a much more objective measure of failure than judging the quality of a sentence when you are 6/7. Eventually they never want to see a written word. If instead you focus on getting them to read and write and create then hopefully eventually the spelling starts to come and it doesn't hold them back so much. (In the meantime dictionaries, word lists on the walls and spellcheckers all help). DD2 is exceptionally good at written comprehension (the dreaded RUAE) despite even her secondary teachers lamenting her spelling. In contrast the one and only time I intervened with DD1, the automatic speller and voracious reader, was to bolster her RUAE skills. Not a teacher but my anecdotal tuppence worth.

Sumdog forced us down the route of comparing fractions this morning. My head hurts after getting the tin of go-gos out and dividing them into teams and sub-teams.

@WaxOnFeckOff

Who has drawn the short straw to watch the update today and tell us the important bits?

I'll try...depends how long she takes to find the point

I'll try...depends how long she takes to find the point :o :o

Will it be to stay home?

With a following wind I suspect all the discrepancies in vaccine approach will catch up with each other over the next couple of weeks. Makes little difference as long as we are all equally locked up afaics.

We've just discussed fish, and health minister has just been asked about when the new Sick Kids will open - completion date delayed until 8th February...

Sturgeon on at 2:20 I think

oh she's no been on yet so might read the bbc live page (rather than actually listen to her)

If it catches up at a point that is 3+ weeks before we should be "released" - whenever that may be - it shouldn't matter. But if we are still behind at that point then it may result in us being locked up for longer.

It also may increase death toll, as there will be people who catch covid in the gap between when they could have had a vaccine and when they actually receive it (or should I say when the vaccine becomes effective but YKWIM)

It is break time so am watching and will try to add anything.

At the moment nothing exciting.

A further time period. Christ sake.

Case numbers still high.....

Precarious

Optimism

Sacrifices

isurviveoncoffeeandwine* great username! I'd have to add in crisps, chocolate and cheese to that for me though...I fear wine may indeed be medicinal tonight. At least some sense of timeline coming?

Cautious.

Realistic

Pressure

Maintain restrictions. Stay at home, no schools.

Middle of February at least.

Review 2nd Feb.

Fucks sake.

That's it? Fuck sake.

Cannot afford to see rate rise again.....

Maintain restrictions until mid February

@Cismyfatarse Perfect summary, thank you

I’m also just on here for the real time updates, can’t listen to the performance any more.

All those thousands of non-essential retailers and drive through takeaways on Barra have to close.