One doctors view of the Thursday applause.

I find myself trying not to think of George Orwell while I do my clapping.
I feel uneasy as my neighbours kids bangs his pans.
This isn't helping the hospital's.
 
Brilliant.... straight out the “I’m a doctor and listen to this” posts that go round on Facebook about falsifying death certificate with Covid 19.

Awful form from the guardian (not surprising though) where as many doctors and nurses (names given) happily accept the applause each week. Along with key workers who it’s for too. Pathetic from the guardian
 
My issue is that this amazing gesture of support for the nhs and all those that are working to battle this virus has somehow morphed into validation if not praise for this current inept regime.

a regime that is largely responsible for putting these said same people in harms way in the first place.
 
his not wrong, however people going to their doorsteps to make noise for 'health workers' primarily and then the other associated pillars of society that we often take for granted, refuse collectors, posties, school teachers, checkout operators etc etc etc. is pretty much unprecedented on these islands.

of course, due to its mass collective, spontaneity and united people factor , worthless so called 'royals, generals and media stars' jumped on the bandwagon and had posed pics placed in the press.


importantly, will those clapping and cheering, remember it when they next come to vote.
 
Try this from Professor John Ashton - a British doctor and academic.

Ashton previously held positions at the University of Southampton, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the School of Medicine at Liverpool University and as Regional Director of Public Health for North-West England for 13 years.

 
Brilliant.... straight out the “I’m a doctor and listen to this” posts that go round on Facebook about falsifying death certificate with Covid 19.

Awful form from the guardian (not surprising though) where as many doctors and nurses (names given) happily accept the applause each week. Along with key workers who it’s for too. Pathetic from the guardian
Watch and listen to a former Regional director of Public Health for North-West England for 13 years in my post above.
 
We are moving into the recriminations phase now in general so stories will be more negative as time progresses.
 
I have no issue with this doctor’s opinion, or with The Guardian for publishing it, but I do think he’s mistaken regarding its political importance. He rightly raises real issues that need to be addressed in our country’s funding and approach to the NHS, but tackling those and showing our appreciation for NHS and other key workers are not mutually exclusive.

In the current climate, it’s unthinkable that even a Tory government would propose any further privatisation of the NHS in the coming years. It’s also unimaginable that, even with the likely state of the public finances, further rounds of austerity and public sector pay freezes would be acceptable.

Governments tend to do as much as they think the electorate will let them get away with. The people of this country are sending them a weekly reminder that they treasure the NHS and its staff extremely highly.
 
It’s all become a bit ‘let’s get on facebook and twitter’
No doubt, at the start there was a huge emotional pull on this.

It’s fair to ask - so what.
A round of applause is lovely but if we continue to reduce the wages of nurses (which has happened over the last 10 yrs if you take account of inflation) it’s just total hypocrisy.
But, we know many are happy with that.
Give them applause, cleanse the conscience.

As for ‘pathetic from The Guardian’. Nothing better than reading just what you are happy with. Makes you so much more rounded
 
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It’s all become a bit ‘let’s get on facebook and twitter’
No doubt, at the start there was a huge emotional pull on this.

It’s fair to ask - so what.
A round of applause is lovely but if we continue to reduce the wages of nurses (which has happened over the last 10 yrs if you take account of inflation) it’s just total hypocrisy.
But, we know many are happy with that.
Give them applause, cleanse the conscience.
Almost, but not quite.
The general public - many of whom have had contact with the NHS over their lifetime [from being born...etc] appear to see the applause as lending moral support for the courage and endeavours of those working in the service in this unusual time.
The Government are hypocrites - all of those in the current cabninet cheered when a proposal to increase pay for Nurses and Doctorsa was defeated in the Commons, and clap because they darent [in public] do any other at this moment in time.

Dont kid ourselves the giant private care and health insurance dogs arent chomping at the bit to rip our NHS to shreds.
Considering that Matt Hancock has received donations from the Institute for Economic Afairs - who support privatisation of Health Care and many in the government have declared sponsorship from big Pharmaceutical and Private Health Care Providers - I dont trust one of them when they say they "believe in the NHS".

They believe in making private profits from poorly patients - lining their sponsors pockets.
 
Easy does it Mutley!

I have no problem with applause and yes we can clap and vote to fund the NHS, they are not mutually exclusive. I have a major issue stomaching a government who strips the NHS to the bone, punatively punishes it's staff who don't happen to have an EU passport. for taking the photo opportunity that applause presents. Hypocritic wank3rs the lot of them.

As for finger pointing at the gaurdian, not sure what the paper has to do with a doctors point of view, unless, of course, they were falsley representing the doctor, but you don't really think that do you Cooper?

Bang that tory drum Cooper, at least we all know what you are.
 
As for ‘pathetic from The Guardian’. Nothing better than reading just what you are happy with. Makes you so much more rounded
Probably the most hypocritical post ever made on this forum. It’s literally full of people with the same views reading the exact same information. Talk about reading what your happy with!!


Laughing - What doctor? The mysterious no named one? Ok then I believe all the ones on social media that come up with conspiracy theories. Let’s twist it then. It’s a no named doctor saying he loves the applause each week and thinks the government are doing a great job in The Mail. You’d be all over carrying “Dominic Cummins!!!” What your doing is taking information that suits your agenda but would dismiss it if other way round in exact same scenario.

Whetever happened to them 200 twitter accounts thst apparently the government had set up? Another bogus story from a anti government source which turned out to be lies. Probably like this.
And what am I??? A member of public who exercised his right to vote in an election? A father? A civil servant who has worked every day since this began? Or someone who should be publicly flogged for exercising my right to vote. Instead of criticising you should be asking why I voted thst way in the 1st place but most don’t seem to look that far!
 
The problem is - it has become habit now for many.
Don’t want to be seen not to do it - ‘what will the neighbours think’
 
Cooper you have no idea what I read - please don’t base hypocrisy on being narrow mined like you.
Secondly - got to hand it to you. Remarkable you can judge what is typical in a newspaper you don’t read.

Sometimes it just appears you want to fight on here
 
As for ‘pathetic from The Guardian’. Nothing better than reading just what you are happy with. Makes you so much more rounded
Probably the most hypocritical post ever made on this forum. It’s literally full of people with the same views reading the exact same information. Talk about reading what your happy with!!


Laughing - What doctor? The mysterious no named one? Ok then I believe all the ones on social media that come up with conspiracy theories. Let’s twist it then. It’s a no named doctor saying he loves the applause each week and thinks the government are doing a great job in The Mail. You’d be all over carrying “Dominic Cummins!!!” What your doing is taking information that suits your agenda but would dismiss it if other way round in exact same scenario.

Whetever happened to them 200 twitter accounts thst apparently the government had set up? Another bogus story from a anti government source which turned out to be lies. Probably like this.
And what am I??? A member of public who exercised his right to vote in an election? A father? A civil servant who has worked every day since this began? Or someone who should be publicly flogged for exercising my right to vote. Instead of criticising you should be asking why I voted thst way in the 1st place but most don’t seem to look that far!
Your not really adding anything Cooper. You don't trust the source, yep, we get it. Feel free to add to the debate as opposed to criticise.

What you are, in context of this thread and your contribution, a Tory shill.
 
As the OP states, this is just one Dr's view and should not be assumed as representative of all medics and other key workers. Mrs Fufkin was a nurse for over 15 years and still works for a NHS trust, so as a result we have dozens of friends who are in the healthcare profession, from HA's to consultants. The point of this preamble is to say that they all post on fb how much they appreciate this demonstration of public support

Yes, there are funding, pay and working condition issues which need to be addressed, that's a given, but we can support those changes at the ballot box and in other ways as well as clapping on a Thursday, they're not mutually exclusive

My only issue with the Thursday clapping is that, as has been suggested already, it has become a bit of a social media game of oneupmanship and those who choose, and it should be a choice, not to partake become a social pariah. That is very much not the philosophy by which this 'movement' began. It was about togetherness, community spirit, support, gratitude and so on. It leaves a bitter taste when it loses that ethos and the very fabric of its original purpose becomes secondary
 
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I read this article this morning, and it is difficult not to agree with the man.

He argues that the applause is essentially meaningless, doesn't help with clinical direction, nor the poor salaries at the grass roots of the NHS, nor the vilification of BAME staff.

Link

He is of course spot on, it does not help with any of those things. We'll have to grow up as a nation to start to look at the important things in life. Break away from the status quo and reorganise the economy.

It does work for those applauding though, gives them a sense of being part of a community that so many in power have undermined for far too long.

I hope it translates into a new vision for the future and that the country responds to the kick up the **** that it has had coming to it.
 
Based on this thread you wouldn’t know my political stand point. Criticising a story with no name in a paper desperate to score political points doesn’t make you a Tory. Most see it that way on here though.

Like it how criticising the story is contributing nothing though. You are contributing to the app thread and it hasn’t been scrapped but stating it has (despite being told that) is that a labour shill?

don’t lower yourself to comments such as “you know what you are” I can post despite the wave of criticism and sometimes abuse coming other way without resorting to that. Tends to be a feature though from some who are supposed to be the “friendly ones”
 
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