Current Affairs

[screwy]

On the subject of PPE, my daughter is a midwife at Liverpool Women’s Hospital,she says they have plenty of equipment,the women’s being part of Liverpool Royal,also our neighbour is a care worker in a large home here in Southport,she says the same and they have no cases at present.

[Ray Scully]

On the subject of PPE, my daughter is a midwife at Liverpool Women’s Hospital,she says they have plenty of equipment,the women’s being part of Liverpool Royal,also our neighbour is a care worker in a large home here in Southport,she says the same and they have no cases at present.

Another reality Screwy, Posted by my 21 year old Granddaughter

"After deciding to do whatever I can to help during all of this I applied for a job in the care sector; being a young healthy individual it was the least I could do with my free time since my degree was moved online. After my first shift in a care home I immediately saw the complete crisis this sector was in. Day 1 I was placed in a unit with covid-19 positive patients, little PPE and extremely stretched staff. Healthy patients were unable to leave their rooms, they were confused and frustrated - many had only gone into these homes after being in hospital to have rehabilitation which would allow them to return to their own homes and normal life. Unfortunately the reality is that once the virus seeps into these homes, the possibility of these individuals being able to leave becomes less and less, they are stuck there, unable to leave their rooms, unable to see family. This post it tough to write, residents I have cared for are unfortunately not here anymore. The staff are so incredible, every day they deal with this absolute chaos with no where near the protection they need, they put themselves at risk, they move out of family homes, some even move into the care homes to prevent further risk. They are sacrificing everything on minimum wage, I have seen it first hand, the problems are so so real. I know that everyone is asking for donations left right and centre but if you wish to donate any money ‘Care England’ are a registered charity who are in desperate need. If you can, please give whatever you can and share this far and wide. These homes are there to care and protect the most vulnerable in our society, an aim which is becoming increasingly impossible to achieve I hope you are all safe and well and hopefully we can do our bit to look after the elderly in our society, they have done their bit and now it’s time to do ours"

[david63]

if over 70's see everyone else starting to have a bit of life again, some will break ranks and go out and about. it's just human nature.

And if anyone thinks for one minute that I am going to go for over 12 months without having my hair cut - forget it!

Another point is that a large majority of the over 70s are the ones with the disposable income that are needed to get the economy going again.

[screwy]

Makes you wonder doesn’t it.!

[Frank Manning]

That Jenny Harries is a cool cookie.

[Mervyn and Trish]

On the subject of PPE, my daughter is a midwife at Liverpool Women’s Hospital,she says they have plenty of equipment,the women’s being part of Liverpool Royal,also our neighbour is a care worker in a large home here in Southport,she says the same and they have no cases at present.

My daughter works in a care home and reports much the same. They have PPE. No cases in the home. Only one resident who was admitted to hospital for an unrelated condition has now caught it there and will not be returning until they have recovered and tested negative. And the home staff have access to any tests they need at a drive through centre ten miles away.

Clearly it is a mixed picture across the country but we shouldn't assume it is all like the worst which is what the media chooses to highlight.

[screwy]

That Jenny Harries is a cool cookie.

Loved thwe way she told the reporter. ' We could have an Adult discussion'

[Gill W]

A bit more research on the skill of hindsight.

Back at the start of March Onelife was posting daily his tips for Cheltenham. Only one member of this forum posted back then to query whether it was wise to go ahead.

It wasn't any of those who are now saying, with the benefit of hindsight, that it should have been cancelled.

So it is true. It is only people who have no foresight who see everything in hindsight.

Merv, with respect, I don’t put everything that I’m thinking on this forum.


An absence of a post doesn’t have to mean an absence of a thought.

[Gill W]

if over 70's see everyone else starting to have a bit of life again, some will break ranks and go out and about. it's just human nature.

And if anyone thinks for one minute that I am going to go for over 12 months without having my hair cut - forget it!

Another point is that a large majority of the over 70s are the ones with the disposable income that are needed to get the economy going again.

There’s two local coach companies that I use, for day trips and I’d also booked two short coach holidays. Most of the people that go on these trips are over 70s. If the shielding goes on for a protracted period, I wonder how small business like that will survive.

[Gill W]

Ray, your grand daughter is a fine young woman.

Hats off to her for taking a job where she can help. It must be incredibly stressful for her, working in that environment

[Mervyn and Trish]

A bit more research on the skill of hindsight.

Back at the start of March Onelife was posting daily his tips for Cheltenham. Only one member of this forum posted back then to query whether it was wise to go ahead.

It wasn't any of those who are now saying, with the benefit of hindsight, that it should have been cancelled.

So it is true. It is only people who have no foresight who see everything in hindsight.

Merv, with respect, I don’t put everything that I’m thinking on this forum.


An absence of a post doesn’t have to mean an absence of a thought.

No of course not. But you're among those happy to use the benefit of hindsight to criticise those who have had to make the decisions without it. To be fair you are not the worst. And I don't pretend the government's response has been perfect. But I do accept they had to make decisions at a time when nobody knew how this was going to pan out. It's a complete unknown. Except to some apparently.

[Frank Manning]

Semantics folks. Let's get over this pandemic then we can endure the inquiry.

[Manoverboard]

A bit more research on the skill of hindsight.

Back at the start of March Onelife was posting daily his tips for Cheltenham. Only one member of this forum posted back then to query whether it was wise to go ahead.

It wasn't any of those who are now saying, with the benefit of hindsight, that it should have been cancelled.

So it is true. It is only people who have no foresight who see everything in hindsight.

My research suggests that our only Member with genuine foresight is .... drum roll ... ' allatc '

[barney]

I called the mum in law care home this morning to check all is well which fortunately it is.
I asked if they had PPE issues and fortunately they don’t.
Interestingly, the owner said that as a private company, they take it upon themselves to manage and procure resources, including PPE.

Could it be that some care providers and nhs trusts are just better run than others?

[Ranchi]

https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04 ... t-article/

Must have touched a nerve.

[oldbluefox]

https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04 ... t-article/

Must have touched a nerve.

But the truth is not as sensational and does little to sell papers. Unfortunately some people believe everything they say.

[towny44]

https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04 ... t-article/

Must have touched a nerve.

I don't think it will stop the doubters, Boris haters and anti Tories from believing every negative report they read, unfortunately.
Our best friends DIL works as a physio at our local hospital and reports that they have no PPE issues and the hospital is eerily quiet with very few visitors and lots of half empty wards. I realise that this is unlikely to be the case in many of the major city hospitals, unfortunately the busiest hospitals will be the ones most likely to have the most severe PPE shortages. But I still believe the govt and health authorities are doing their very best to source as much PPE as they can, and to see it rapidly distributed to the most critical sites, however when it does it becomes a non story as far as the media is concerned.

[Mervyn and Trish]

https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04 ... t-article/

Must have touched a nerve.

As does any inaccurate and sensationalist journalism at this difficult time.

[david63]

... unfortunately the busiest hospitals will be the ones most likely to have the most severe PPE shortages.

But this is again the media sensationalising the issue.

I suspect that there are some (perhaps many) hospitals with low stocks but the media are portraying this as the whole of the NHS.

Last night Jonathan Ashworth was bleating on that he gets "dozens" of calls every day from companies wanting to make supplies which were being ignored by the Government. He gave no indication of how he was going to organise the logistics of getting many small amounts into the supply chain.

Interestingly, the owner said that as a private company, they take it upon themselves to manage and procure resources, including PPE.

That is the whole point - although many there is an argument that many (most?) care homes are reliant on residents being referred from the NHS/Social Services and they do not pay the full running cost rate for the home. In fact most homes could not survive without the "self funders" subsidising the "funded" residents. So some of these homes may see it as they are an extension of the NHS and therefore should be supplied with the equipment.

Also I suspect that due to the demand from the NHS that care homes are finding it difficult to source equipment.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I have a pretty clear idea what is going on here.

Let me say again I am not a sycophant, nor a long time never-vote-for-anyone-else Tory. I'm a typical middle of the road floating voter and will make my decision on an election by election basis. I do not believe the present government is perfect, but I do believe they've done a good job with the information and professional advice they've had at each stage of this crisis. As good or better than anyone else, inside or outside government, could have done making the decisions at each stage with the information then available. I suspect with the benefit of the same hindsight their critics now have, they might wish they'd done some things differently. But we are where we are.

So here is the issue. At the early stage in this, the country (with the exception of the idiots who still believe this is caused by phone masts, is a Chinese conspiracy to grab power, is no worse than winter flu, is a hoax made up by the Tories to control people etc.) was pretty much united in the fight against a common invisible enemy. The Tory ratings, and Boris's in particular, soared.

Suddenly in the midst of national unity the left wing saw a problem. While they were still busy choosing a new leader they'd become invisible and were facing wipeout at the next election too, their fifth in a row, because of this pandemic. Brexit and austerity, the previous battle grounds which they could argue were the government's self inflicted issues, were off the agenda for months.

So they decided to fight back. Just look where the attacks are coming from. Largely left wing organisations, the unions, their supporters in the press. Selected people in the NHS and care sector, who are respected because of their jobs and efforts now, and who, despite not speaking for all of their colleagues, the press cannot challenge because it would be seen as crass to do so. You can attack a politician. You can't attack a nurse. And I'm not criticising nurses or doctors for speaking as they see it, just suggesting not all of them see it the same way, and the press aren't willing to risk pointing that out. We've seen in our own comments very different experiences in parts of the health and care sector.

For the left, it is all about breaking down that threat of national unity, something we so need now, in the narrow interest of petty party politics. If they succeed we will see the break down of law and order, as is already happening in parts of the US, with dire consequences way beyond this pandemic.

[Gill W]

https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04 ... t-article/

Must have touched a nerve.

But the truth is not as sensational and does little to sell papers. Unfortunately some people believe everything they say.

Equally, it can be be said that some people believe everything the government say.

[barney]

Quote- you can’t always believe everything you read on the internet or social media

Source - Abraham Lincoln

[Mervyn and Trish]

https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04 ... t-article/

Must have touched a nerve.

But the truth is not as sensational and does little to sell papers. Unfortunately some people believe everything they say.

Equally, it can be be said that some people believe everything the government say.

And that some believe nothing they say, even before they say it.

[Manoverboard]

Quote- you can’t always believe everything you read on the internet or social media

Source - Abraham Lincoln

Really .... I thought it was Guy Fawkes

[Mervyn and Trish]

Quote- you can’t always believe everything you read on the internet or social media

Source - Abraham Lincoln

Really .... I thought it was Guy Fawkes

Have you not seen his Tweets?