What a shame, it's Shane long the # 7 legend now. I'll continue to respect Matt Le Tissier and Ricky Lambert's contribution on the pitch but as far as their covid views non whatsoever. I don't know their vaccination status I'd assume from their postings not, are they allowed access to St Marys?
Just saw this in the Times when discussing how effective vaccines are against death not infection. “There is a simpler way of understanding the effectiveness of vaccines. Last winter, 50,000 cases of Covid led to about 1,000 deaths. This autumn they led to 100.”
If they produce a negative covid test then yes, or at least thats the rules for the supporters. Vaccinated or negative test.
I feel for those doing their utmost best under extreme pressure. I'm not advocating a hard lockdown but surely the NHS and health services elsewhere need support. By that I mean taking all sensible precautions limiting contacts, wearing masks, getting vaccinated, hygiene and all the other things that will reduce the load on under resourced services. https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-59872394
Reference the much used phrase “we must stop the NHS from becoming overwhelmed” How is that defined? In my humble opinion, the NHS has been overwhelmed for years. We have an NHS that:- Has been deliberately underfunded for the last 12 years of Tory rule. Has one of the lowest numbers of hospital beds, per head of population of almost any developed nation. Circa 100,000 staff shortages, with that number being temporarily increased on a major scale as a result of Covid and stress absenteeism. Many medical staff are looking for, or have already found, jobs outside of the NHS. Hospital beds are being taken up by medically fit patients who cannot be discharged because they need support in the community, but the lack of social health care means delaying the discharge, sometimes for days. Non emergency treatments are being cancelled or delayed, which could create bigger health issues for the future, with people having to be treated as inpatients, instead of outpatients, due to the delays. Ambulances are queuing for hours to discharge patients into A&E departments. A&E departments are, at times, turning ambulances away, because they cannot cope with the numbers. Patients that do make it into A&E can spend hours on a trolley, in a corridor. Paramedics are seeing and helping fewer sick or injured people, as a result of all the delays in the hospitals. Recent reports have stated that people with chest pains, in some areas, are being advised to call a taxi to get to A&E, because of the delays in freeing up ambulances. Waiting times at A&E departments are through the roof, and I recently shared an example of a man having to sit all night in an A&E department, waiting to be admitted, a man who died a few days later. The head of NHS England finds himself in a difficult position, when being asked about this, as his position is very political and he wants to keep his well paying job. If he says the NHS IS overwhelmed, then he risks being held culpable and risks being replaced. This country owes the workers of the NHS a huge debt of gratitude, because if they all started to work their contracted hours, instead of staying beyond their finish times to compensate for the perpetual staff shortages, we really would have been piling up the bodies in the streets.
Great post, St B. That’s exactly it. I’ve been talking to the nurses, radiographers, clinical assistants, physios, etc up here in Manchester and the main thing which is coming out to me is the “togetherness” of the team. I tell you, everything you read or hear about is just a fraction of what’s going on. The lady who took my blood yesterday answered my comment about the “short-staffing leading to big queues etc” with “yes - but look how everyone is pitching in and helping everyone else” I’m totally in awe of them all and really wish there was something more I could do to help. “Angels” doesn’t do them justice. We need an opposition to come out clearly NOW and say “right - vote us in and we’re going to totally renationalise everything in the NHS. We’ll bring in a tax on extremely high earners, with the money going directly to front line services of the NHS”. Sadly, I doubt this will happen …. There are many things wrong with the NHS, but the people are ****ing magnificent and it’s a tragedy that so many are leaving or looking to leave
It’s interesting because the theory is that Tory underfunding was designed so they could point to private options and say “this isn’t so bad now is it?”. Aided by lots of the staff moving private anyway But when push came to shove in this pandemic everything has been about protecting the nhs Now maybe it is a cynical political decision as the public are known to support the NHS. Or perhaps (more likely) it is because a pandemic is not the time for the health system to collapse and a new one be rebuilt from the rubble It’s an odd situation
26 NHS trusts have declared critical incidents, in the last few days. The Tories are now doing a deal with Private hospitals, which I don’t have an issue with, so long as it is temporary and value for money. According to the Centre for Health and Public Interest think tank, in the first year of the pandemic, private hospitals were given contracts worth more than £2 billion yet delivered less than 0.1% of the nation’s Covid care and took on fewer NHS patients than the year before. That doesn’t sound like value for money, to me.
Depends what your motives were. If you were looking for ways to line your mates' pockets it was an excellent move.
I’m sure I read ages ago that some private hospitals cleared scheduled treatments to free up beds, but weren’t called on. Not their fault, but some cock up somewhere.
Can confirm. It’s basically just a racket. I was working in some of those hospitals during the pandemic. So I have first hand experience of what Fran just mentioned. They were being paid to take on NHS patients - and to be fair, the staff there were wanting to help, but barely any NHS patients arrived. I don’t think raising taxes is the answer. Systemic reform has to happen. When you work inside the NHS, you see so much money wasted. You physically couldn’t tax enough to pay for it all.
Hana Horka: Czech singer dies after catching Covid intentionally - BBC News My condolences to her friends and family and RIP etc....but what a ****ing idiot.
Still applies throughout Europe. In our experience in the Netherlands, the use of the corona check and masks have been a minor inconvenience and use will be continued after restrictions are removed IE the bars and restaurants reopen. It'll be staycations for those that aren't vaccinated, tested and properly documented. Due to the high incidence in the UK quarantines are required here in the Netherlands and elsewhere, not everywhere, each country has its own regulations. This is a useful site for those considering travelling to EU countries and further afield. I can only hope the UK relaxation doesn't bring about an increase in transmission further delaying plans for a long overdue visit.
Yet in Ireland we are moving to pubs being opened to 12 instead of 8. Yay. Don't know what sort of science they are following there. They 'want' to get rid of covid passes by March 31 and no sign of masks going anytime soon. There will be some variant of concern probably and emergency powers will be extended I'd imagine. Nphet (our SAGE) are meeting tomorrow to discuss restrictions. They are basically our de-fecto government as our leaders just follow any recommendations they make so that might all change. After being in England in December it was depressing to come back here to a much more restricted society and doomladen media. Hopefully though we are near the end as well, not as quick as ye mind you but before too long hopefully. Despite my gloomy post things are looking up to be fair!
Tough day for the conspiracists, who spent a lot of time and energy telling us that the pLaNdEmiC was so they could implement vaccine passports.
It's also far more likely the reverse: Boris moved up the schedule to undo Plan B because he's currently fighting for political survival and needed a win. Then again, the virus being the product of lizard people working out of a secret lab in the caldera of Vesuvius is also more likely than pLaNdEmIc, so there is that.
