NHS problems

[dickythorpe]

I'm hearing more and more about staff are tired, exhausted and struggling.
Rising numbers of covid, "look after your elderly relatives"...
Is there an inkling of any restrictions on way?

Some are convinced a "fire break" is on way.

I've no idea what to think or expect anymore.

 

[Jinxy]

Also Dicky, the mass vaccination centres are struggling due to agency staff that were operating there being transferring to hospitals, where there are enhanced incentives to do so.

 

[Jack2jack]

I'm hearing more and more about staff are tired, exhausted and struggling.
Rising numbers of covid, "look after your elderly relatives"...
Is there an inkling of any restrictions on way?

Some are convinced a "fire break" is on way.

I've no idea what to think or expect anymore.

England are talking of this Plan B, i.e. re-introducing masks etc, if cases and deaths continue to rise over the coming months.
Didn't Dripford say yesterday, there would be no more lock downs or firebreaks, for Wales.
Its not looking good as we move into the winter months, what with the backlogs in NHS waiting lists, flu. etc.

 

[MrSwerve]

In my University we have a number of staff off, also plenty of students off too. We’re being encouraged (I.e. forced) to do as much F2F as possible, but it’s a bit of a losing battle as many courses are slowly moving back online. Mrs Swerve is a teacher and it’s at breaking point in her school.

I’m all for getting back to normality but the government seem to be putting their fingers in their ears and brushing it all off, maintaining that everything is going along swimmingly. In reality, it is not. If Drakeford has categorically ruled out firebreaks, I think that is a bit naive. I don’t think we can rule anything out.

I think the governments are just praying now that the NHS manages to cope. If we get to Christmas and we’re at 80k+ cases a day, there will be a lockdown - make no mistake. Especially if deaths per day is nudging 500+.

 

[Itchysphincter]

I'm hearing more and more about staff are tired, exhausted and struggling.
Rising numbers of covid, "look after your elderly relatives"...
Is there an inkling of any restrictions on way?

Some are convinced a "fire break" is on way.

I've no idea what to think or expect anymore.

Wait for Bozo to say that there won’t be a fire break, then you can start planning your lockdown.

 

[Squarebear]

Mrs Bear is a teacher and the growing staff casualty list should be cause for concern but no restrictions exist. One wonders how many more staff need to be off before the headmaster recognises he has a problem.

 

[Longlostjack]

Squarebear - kids are tested twice a week here. It was on a daily basis but they changed it a couple of weeks ago. Have to wear masks in common areas and though no longer obligatory in the classroom teachers can insist on kids wearing them where social distancing not possible. Talking secondary schools. Where are the Teaching Unions in UK?

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

Also Dicky, the mass vaccination centres are struggling due to agency staff that were operating there being transferring to hospitals, where there are enhanced incentives to do so.

I've been hearing stories of the vaccination centre staff having to work for silly numbers of days in a row. Some only getting a day off every 4 or 5 weeks. It must be rewarding to know you're helping, but who the hell wants to put in those sorts of hours dealing with the grumpy public?

 

[MajorR]

I'm hearing more and more about staff are tired, exhausted and struggling.
Rising numbers of covid, "look after your elderly relatives"...
Is there an inkling of any restrictions on way?

Some are convinced a "fire break" is on way.

I've no idea what to think or expect anymore.

Can’t comment on the whole of Wales, but certainly from a South Wales perspective you are hearing right. Staff have been dealing with Covid for over 18 months, the number of patients requiring the hospitalisation and breathing assistance is high. Staff working on wards are under the cosh and at levels below where they should be. I’ve heard people speculating about a firebreak, as Drakers doesn’t have a great deal of money to play with I can’t see it being a full firebreak, maybe they’ll pull the plug on schools as they seem to fuel infection rates.

There a huge amount of pressure coming from the doctors and the NHS in England to move to Plan B, but ministers are pushing back and refusing. I think it’s a case of the government resisting at all costs because of the prevention it will bring. Personally I cant understand why people aren’t being required to wear a mask etc, it’s as though Boris is trying to push through herd immunity.

 

[MajorR]

Also Dicky, the mass vaccination centres are struggling due to agency staff that were operating there being transferring to hospitals, where there are enhanced incentives to do so.

When the vaccines were first rolled out, community based staff were redeployed to work alongside NHS staff who had previously retired and potentially some agency staff. They were supported by NHS staff working OT (bank shifts).
The government changed the rules last year and introduced the concept of Non Registered Vaccinators which allowed Health Boards to recruit non medical staff who would be trained to deliver the vaccines at mass vaccination centres. Some Health Boards have gone down this route and have small teams of non registered staff working directly under the direct supervision of a registered clinician (fully qualified nurse, doctor or paramedic). The “registered” staff are invariably retired or “bank” staff doing additional hours.

I suspect the aim is to minimise abstractions from hospitals by using the non registered staff.

 

[MrSwerve]

With half-term next week they had an excellent opportunity to push ‘work from home’ through to stifle the alarming rise in infections.

A health minister on BBC yesterday said that there is capacity in the NHS at the moment to cope with the current numbers, my worry is that they will react at ‘breaking point’ rather than pre-empt the problem. We’ve seen what exponential growth can do and by that point it is too late. Basically, more of the same as we’ve had since the start of the pandemic, slow to react. There may be capacity in the NHS but they are at their limits already on a human level.

I dread to think how many ‘actual’ cases we have...50k is officially tested, but it’s not unimaginable that we’re at a good 70-80k at least in reality.

What I can see is that we go into December with pretty high case rates; 70k or so, with deaths in the 300+ area. There will be endless discussions of whether to lockdown or not up until Christmas where the NHS gets to breaking point, then we have some kind of firebreak in January...when the horse has already bolted.

 

[MajorR]

With half-term next week they had an excellent opportunity to push ‘work from home’ through to stifle the alarming rise in infections.

A health minister on BBC yesterday said that there is capacity in the NHS at the moment to cope with the current numbers, my worry is that they will react at ‘breaking point’ rather than pre-empt the problem. We’ve seen what exponential growth can do and by that point it is too late. Basically, more of the same as we’ve had since the start of the pandemic, slow to react. There may be capacity in the NHS but they are at their limits already on a human level.

I dread to think how many ‘actual’ cases we have...50k is officially tested, but it’s not unimaginable that we’re at a good 70-80k at least in reality.

What I can see is that we go into December with pretty high case rates; 70k or so, with deaths in the 300+ area. There will be endless discussions of whether to lockdown or not up until Christmas where the NHS gets to breaking point, then we have some kind of firebreak in January...when the horse has already bolted.

Good post.
The picture may very from area to area and it may be that England is different, but my experience is that things are are full stretch already here in Wales, staff are under the cosh and on some wards as much as 50% below what it should be. I suspect the health minister is following instructions re government policy as opposed to any science, the overwhelming advice from doctors is to move to Plan B which is hardly draconian compared to where we’ve been but it will politically sensitive and bring back the return of rules such as mask wearing etc. Let’s hope they don’t leave it too late and we end up seeing scenes like we saw in Italy.

 

[Jinxy]

Also Dicky, the mass vaccination centres are struggling due to agency staff that were operating there being transferring to hospitals, where there are enhanced incentives to do so.

I've been hearing stories of the vaccination centre staff having to work for silly numbers of days in a row. Some only getting a day off every 4 or 5 weeks. It must be rewarding to know you're helping, but who the hell wants to put in those sorts of hours dealing with the grumpy public?

"The grumpy public" - I think most are grateful but there's always a % that just don't appreciate what is being done, and the obstacles they have to overcome. One section of people that could be "challenging" are pushy mums wanting to be convinced (at length) by the busy vaccinators that their kids will be ok, as opposed to doing the research beforehand, then just turning up, get jab, chat and say thankyou, then leave!

 

[Squarebear]

Squarebear - kids are tested twice a week here. It was on a daily basis but they changed it a couple of weeks ago. Have to wear masks in common areas and though no longer obligatory in the classroom teachers can insist on kids wearing them where social distancing not possible. Talking secondary schools. Where are the Teaching Unions in UK?

That sounds a sensible approach. Are you in Spain or have I dreamed that?

Your question about the whereabouts of the union is one my wife has been asking. She feels let down.

 

[Longlostjack]

Squarebear - kids are tested twice a week here. It was on a daily basis but they changed it a couple of weeks ago. Have to wear masks in common areas and though no longer obligatory in the classroom teachers can insist on kids wearing them where social distancing not possible. Talking secondary schools. Where are the Teaching Unions in UK?

That sounds a sensible approach. Are you in Spain or have I dreamed that?

Your question about the whereabouts of the union is one my wife has been asking. She feels let down.

You‘ve dreamt it. I dream about Spain at this time of the year living here in Germany though. No idea why I‘ve decided to live in the equivalent of a dark damp fridge for four months of the year ).