It was no shock that tier 4 restrictions were announced many on here predicted the increase of the virus after Christmas. What has shocked me is the preparation or lack of it . Moving critical patients out of London hospitals into ICUs elsewhere. This means less beds for those who need them in their own area and not enough staff. ICU use to mean one on one care now the ratio is 3 patients to 1 nurse. Ambulances are queuing up outside my own local hospitals. Nursing staff are struggling as many off with the virus and they are worn out anyway .
Why are we not using the nightingale hospitals that were prepared and ready for action? Why are we not using the forces own medics? Many are highly trained in intensive/ trauma care.
Sorry to rant but I personally know nursing staff and doctors who are on their last legs and have not received the vaccine, my own father has but I feel it is wasted as he won’t be leaving his home or going shopping. Frontline workers have to work and I feel they should have received it first. I have friends with the virus and one friends father who is only 66 and things do not look good he has had to wait his turn to get on a ventilator ( had to wait for someone to die) . It’s just getting to me today.
All of Scotland has been in level 4 since Boxing day and I hope for a while to come.I share your sentiments in I personally feel front line health care staff should have been a priority for vaccination. Protecting those who have the lives of others in their hands does not seem unreasonable to me.
Agree entirely re protecting frontline workers as priority. I heard on the radio that many of those senior people who have had their first Pfizer will be made to wait longer for their second dose/shot so the frontline workers can get theirs. Wish it could happen for both but some prioritising is starting to take place it would seem. It’s going to take a lot longer than hoped at first re getting people vaccinated.
Hi J1707, I read all this too last night and apparently there are not the qualified staff available for the Nightingales and also not all the specialist equipment needed in them. Also I read some haven’t got all the toilet facilities needed .. not sure if that meant disabled toilets etc., but seems strange they didn’t equip them/build what was needed earlier this year in anticipation of a further wave. Maybe the equipment from those had to go to the regular hospitals? I think too that the forces’ medics seems a very good option for the Nightingales. I then read a few hours ago that the Nightingales are set to open now, so maybe there are plans we don’t know of yet, and hopefully involving the forces. My partner and I had the same questions last night as you have raised.
I was surprised too see that my own area of Kirklees has stayed in tier 3 given the many issues here during the year and the star summer lockdown, but we are still 3 for now. Was concerned too re moving patients up to Yorkshire from London and other places and as you rightly said .. what happens if more local people can’t get in those hospitals? Would think they’d have to travel out of the area to find a vacancy. I hope your friend’s father will be alright. 🙏. I’m shocked too if not entirely surprised re not having done more prep sooner for the Nightingales. Maybe someone with more direct knowledge .. knows someone who will be working in one, etc. will comment. x
Lit was acknowledged through the year that the NHSwas struggling to staff its own wards,let alone staff the Nightingale hospitals.We were under the impression that the Nightingales would be run by the army.
I don’t know what to believe any more.take care.i hope you have a safe NewYear.
It is hard to know what to believe .. I tend to look at the BBC for the news. So much differs elsewhere unless it’s a bona fide organisation like here or other official medical sites. Hoping for a safer and more hopeful new year too. Best wishes to you. 💗
We were in tier 3 like you FaceTime and zooms didn’t physically see any family or friends. Our streat had a lot of cars other than residents parked over night .
Here in Bristol we are accepting patients from London area. It seems so archaic and scary that London has reached capacity that patients need to be taken a long distance away.
I really hope your friends dad will pull through, how distraught his family must be.
My sister is 1 week post covid infection (she's 50) and she's had her first afternoon out of bed. Before all this she was fit and healthy, she still feels terrible plus no taste etc. Its vile .
I think its a huge mess which the UK should have had a handle on ages ago;Its really shown the bad side of society and how selfish some people are. My neighbours were out clapping for the NHS months ago but are having people in and out of their house constantly 🤷♀️
This is it peoples priorities have changed with the virus. Certain houses on my street behaving like normal. Families coming and going. When are people going to get serious about this virus. How many more need to die before we practice social distancing. I've not been to London to my parent first time in 20 year this year. It's been a year I'm feeling it but not gonna put anyones life at risk.
We had those neighbours too ... paying lip service to all of it but going where they liked when they liked and family round in large numbers. Four lots of neighbours did this and were very blatant about it!
I know and more and more people are resenting them for doing this as they stretch the NHS to the limit and keep shielding people inside for longer. All the non compliance affects education and schools so much too. Hopefully they’ll get the message soon that what has been asked of everyone actually applies to them too. 🤨😑
Maybe we're more careful due to health issues. Others believe they'll get it mildly and recover but they don't realise along the way their spreading it to vulnerable people and to the elderly 🙄😔
That’s awful re waiting for a free ventilator... triage was mentioned back in March/April.
That made me think that a young person eg a mum, would likely get priority of me as a 67 year old now...
and I’m not convinced by an email today from the COVID Registry survey, saying they are quitting now though might restart at some point, and concluding that, “...it seems those with autoimmune diseases are not at higher risk.”
With Dumfries & Galloway now having a sudden big spike in positive cases, including the 70% more transmissible strain, I am remaining very cautious indeed. Continuing active RA along with probably not getting my next drug infusions by late Jan/early Feb, are not encouraging in the current pandemic.
It just shows you the result of selfish inconsiderate people over Christmas..... and lack of investment by governments of all colours over the last 40 + years!We are not using the Nightingale hospitals because we just don’t have enough highly trained ICU Nurses...... I do wonder if they could open those Nightingale hospitals and staff them with student nurses ,retired nurses military nurses .....because they could cope dealing with most post-op patients & leave spaces in ICUs in regular hospitals ....as long as they had a few highly qualified supervisory staff.... as for medical patients rather than surgical who knows what they can do for them.
Because none of the politicians seem to understand what they are up against....& unless one of the daily presentations turns into a slanging match with the scientists telling the politicians to wise up ..nothing will change!
Sadly to say this was a disaster waiting to happen, an already exhausted NHS, lack of staff and the ongoing changes to tiers, lock downs yes have Christmas no don't have Christmas, close schools/ uni, open schools/uni...close services/ hospitality...open no close, scientists say this politicians say that is it any wonder we are in a mess. Although the ultimate responsibility lies with joe public and while the vast majority of us are doing our uppermost to keep safe, abide by the measures and take responsibility, the reason why people are lying in ambulances, hospital beds, on ventilators is because of transmission and the only way it spreads is because of movement and only serves to feed the virus that doesn't care if it's Christmas, New Year or Bank Holiday Monday. It doesn't care if people ignore measures, nip round to the neighbours party, meet up with our friends in a cafe or conga on the front lawn with a cast of a thousand etc. I am not sticking up for the politicians as I don't care much for nor want to get into a political discussion, as they should be leading and also listening to and taking the advice from the scientists, but the ultimate responsibility lies with us all and we (using this as a collective term) are responsible for the actions we take and unfortunately it is like a domino effect in respect of the more opportunities we give this virus to mutate the harder and more strain it puts upon the NHS and sadly to say more people will become ill and some sadly will pass away. I agree that front line workers including teaching staff, teaching assistants and care workers should be a priority for vaccinations.
Thank you rabbits65 and wishing you all the best for this year too.
I hope you get to feeling better. I work in a health department but directly with clients but not health related issues. But if I am called to help I will. In the US all frontline workers are getting the vaccine in hopes of keeping the doctors and nurses on their feet.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Does anyone know ...? 
sorry off loading long post
Should we be writing to our MPs regarding the difficulties we are experiencing with drug deliveries from healthcare at home?
NHS CARE ..
