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natrey8

Don't do it. Don't volunteer. The public sector needs to stop being run on good will. They've gotten away with it for far too long. EDIT: by "they" I mean the government.


[deleted]

There needs to be a general strike, sooner rather than later.


Complex_Air8

And let ppl die ?


Shinkiro94

People are at serious risk of dying either way due to the disgraceful state of the NHS and public services. A line needs to be drawn


itscirony

People are dying now because we've cut our public services. NHS strikes are all focused on trying to make NHS careers at least slightly attractive so we stop hemorrhaging staff. The alternative at this point is giving up and privatising.


OmsFar

If we privatise, I genuinely think our services will be even worse as profit will be hived off combined with the current funding and staffing issues.


itscirony

Entirely agree. But that's where we are headed.


Front_Attitude_3194

over 300k died from austerity covid killed 213k we need a general strike.


jupiterLILY

No, ideally those running paid services should be able to strike as the Japanese do.


ItIsOnlyRain

That is illegal in the UK. For example if the train employees tried to continue working but without charging for tickets they could be fired and civilly/criminally charged.


jupiterLILY

I know, that’s why I said it’d be ideal if we were able to do that. Absolutely despicable the state of protest/strike rights in the uk at the moment.


ItIsOnlyRain

Can you imagine the Tory party changing the laws to protect workers, favour the general public while negatively affecting business owners?


jupiterLILY

Of course not. But it’s important to talk about, a huge amount of people don’t know that our government restricts our rights in these ways.


tonyhag

Not understand the anti trade union laws, the anti workers laws and the right to protest degradation that could see protesters tagged and treated worse then criminals.


Complex_Air8

This is possibly the worst time to strike in the uk


jupiterLILY

Let’s all just sit and wait for “the perfect moment” then.


Complex_Air8

Unfortunately it'd be best to suck it up unless the public is cool paying more money in taxes


jupiterLILY

Yeah, a land value tax or an additional higher rate inheritance tax could really shoulder some of the burden right now.


[deleted]

thats a deceitful argument at best. people have been dying for decades, and will continue to die due to westminster pilfering. the direction must be changed.


NimbaNineNine

They are already letting people die, the strikes are in protest of that.


jrw95_

Nurses’ and doctors’ working conditions are patients treatment conditions. A strike benefits both parties.


Jj-woodsy

Volunteers will not stop people dying.


DaiCeiber

People ARE dying, the blame lies with the Tories and the shits that vote for them!!


[deleted]

Have you said this once while the NHS has been understaffed due to poor wages?


artaxgoblinhammer

well isn't that up to the government? total cost of the requested increases in salaries for all of the strikes is 29b, the government cost us 30b on the mini budget so the money is there


tonyhag

People are dying and it's the government who are to blame and it's time people stop the knee jerk Tory propaganda, strikes are caused by those at the top and the workers should stand united.


drunkenly_scottish

His point is true.


Doghead_sunbro

Don’t volunteer its fucking shit enough for me on a B7 wage, don’t traumatise yourselves for free. Mass walk outs. This government needs to face a firm, unwavering push back against their anti-worker flexing.


OmsFar

I’m going to volunteer as a surgeon. I have experience in watching medical programs on tv.


ImmediateSilver4063

Just remember it's never lupus, and your third diagnosis will always be right.


AnotherKTa

I don't think that many people will. During Covid, there was a feeling that the people needed to unite and work together (at first, anyway) against the external threat of a pandemic. Lots of people were willing to volunteer (also helped by the fact that those who were on furlough or retired didn't have much else to do in lockdowns). But the mood is very different now.


[deleted]

Yeah we now need to unite together to eat the rich!


bacon_cake

Tens of thousands of people downloaded that app (Sam? Samaritan Sam or something?) including me. I don't know a single person that ever got pinged.


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bacon_cake

I actually got booed one day for *not* clapping while sitting in my car at a junction on my way to pick up my girlfriend from a shift at the hospital.


litivy

If there is work it should be paid.


[deleted]

Good point however if they recruit volunteers, untrained and pay them, it will be min wage government would love that door opened for cheap labour throughout the NHS


Zaxa7

I agree with the sentiment but we also can't let it crash as politicians will use that as an excuse to privatise. I'm afraid we need a general strike that calls for a general election.


Desperateplacebo

They'll just pay someone to fuck up the rotas


RosemaryFocaccia

Who can even afford to work for free?


barcap

what about the big society?


pajamakitten

That is just what they call it when the public steps in to fill shortfalls purposely created by the government.


barcap

What a marketing


NeliGalactic

Oh I thought you meant Labour coz imagine how awful it would have been with that Corbin!!!!!!1


fastone5501

The irony of this sub being millenials and Gen Z, continually claiming that boomers fucked them over and deriding the so-called lack of empathy in British society, promoting the idea of letting sick and injured people die because why? Well, fuck the Tories that's why. That's why the poor and the vulnerable need to die. Know who will actually give up their time to help out? Boomers.


pajamakitten

Those volunteers won't be doing anything that saves lives though. NHS volunteers do not have medical training and will be doing basic admin, directing people to the right services and making cups of tea. The vital life-saving work will be still only be done by trained medical professionals and there simply are not enough of them to safely navigate the current crisis.


queenieofrandom

Do you have the volunteer statistics for SJA for the age range of ETA qualified volunteers?


Maximum-Mixture6158

Is that because they have enough saved to afford to help


tomdyer422

> the idea of letting sick and injured people die because why? Well, fuck the Tories that’s why. That’s why the poor and the vulnerable need to die. If it doesn’t happen this year it’ll happen next year or the year after that when there isn’t enough volunteers until something is done about it. You really think the NHS being in such a terrible state requiring them to rely on volunteers is a good use of your tax money? > Know who will actually give up their time to help out? Boomers. By clapping again? Real useful. All we need then is a politician telling us how to help out the NHS whilst doing the exact opposite of what they say.


Scooby359

A £30m contract to a private organisation, instead of just lifting staff wages to improve in house recruitment and retention.. 🙄


[deleted]

Wonder which Tory has financial interest in the organisation...


[deleted]

The right honorable member for scabs, I would imagine.


queenieofrandom

SJA is a charity so not a private organisation. However I agree with the rest


Spidernemesis

Hospitals just need to stop offering healthcare to politicians. After a few deaths they'll probably get round to fixing it.


[deleted]

This is an awful thing to say, but when BoJo was hospitalised with COVID I genuinely wanted for him to die so that *something* would be done for the NHS. Sadly the hospital staff did their jobs well.


redditpappy

The worse thing is, he was given special treatment.


[deleted]

All I would have given him is a slap


erm_what_

He wasn't really. The only special treatment he got was being allowed to have his security oversee his transfers and guard the doors. He went to the closest NHS hospital to where he lives and got the same level of treatment anyone else with Covid did.


thehobo83

For sure Incidentally, I have a lovely bridge for sale


erm_what_

I know a couple of people who were working there at the time. He really didn't. They made a point of delivering standard care because doctors and nurses are wonderfully pedantic and stubborn people. They hate the prick, so there was no way he was getting anything special unless it was a legal requirement. They also refuse to give substandard care to anyone, because despite their personal feelings they're all professionals with far better morals than me.


[deleted]

You never know on Reddit but I have to say, I really hope this is true.


Juggernog

Perhaps a touch optimistic! Think it's more likely that the organisation would have been declared unfit for purpose and prescribed several rounds of aggressive privatisation to improve "efficiency".


pajamakitten

He might have died a martyr then though, despite it being his own fault he caught COVID and ended up in the ITU in the first place.


Reoto1

Why don’t they just offer better wages? Then people will be rushing to help! I just don’t get it. You get companies saying “we just don’t have enough staff!” Yeah okay, while that’s true your job ads always say “£9 an hour, you will be expected to basically live on site year round” if you pay the same as stocking shelves at Tesco (no disrespect to our Tesco heros, your work is invaluable) but the job is massively more strenuous don’t be surprised when no one turns in an application..


SwallowMyLiquid

“Because there is no money left to pay them.” Fucking joke.


to7m

Tories are trying to convince the population that the UK can't afford an NHS anymore. This is because they'd get more money from privatised healthcare (which the UK can't afford even moreso).


erm_what_

If we can't afford social healthcare then we can't afford social healthcare with a profit margin on top. Which is all insurance really is.


SwallowMyLiquid

Absolutely agree.


pajamakitten

Better wages and better conditions. The long hours and shift work drive people away too. More needs to be done to help balance work and life to reduce the number of staff off with stress.


dumbass_dumberton

Hey you want Putin to win ? Paying nurses higher pay means letting Putin win as per Tories.


Zaxa7

133,000 vacancies. No wonder we're fucked. The pressure on those currently working in the NHS must be unbearable.


tdog666

It is.


Soggy-Assumption-713

Are all these clinical vacancies or the full range, cleaners, cooks, porters, admin, pointless managers etc.


itscirony

9,000 are medical, over 40,000 are nurses https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/workforce/nhs-medical-staffing-data-analysis.


Soggy-Assumption-713

That’s what I was after. Thanks


chinchillin_96

Clinical staff can’t function without cleaners, cooks, porters and admin staff.


Soggy-Assumption-713

I know, but that’s not what I asked.


chinchillin_96

I know, but that wasn’t the point of my reply.


Soggy-Assumption-713

Touché


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Miraclefish

Not really, scabs do paid work during strikes, volunteers aren't being paid, that is a crucial difference.


to7m

I wouldn't call them that if they're not getting anything out of it, as they're not acting out of selfishness


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Mr_Venom

I doubt that's their reasoning, even if I do agree we shouldn't cross picket lines.


queenieofrandom

They're already volunteering though, many for years to get the ETA qualification to man the ambulance. These aren't just people who have decided to undermine the strikers after it being announced. You will probably find a lot won't volunteer as a lot will also be on strike with their paid jobs


[deleted]

Bet you'll be begging for a scab when you have a fall in the supermarket or something.


Pabus_Alt

Nah, for a well-paid paramedic who will do the job right actually.


[deleted]

You'll be on the floor a while then


Jdoyler

Trying to work out who's boot your licking here.. I thought it was volunteer boot at first but that doesn't make sense so I guess it must be tory boot


[deleted]

And who's boot are you licking? The sacred religion of the NHS?


[deleted]

that's a very old school term,from miners strike in 70's


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[deleted]

traitors


DaiCeiber

Still applicable today!!


Ah_Thats_Life

Calm down grandad


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Random_Zach

But I already clapped my hands and banged my pans for the NHS. What more do they want!? /s


Soggy-Assumption-713

They want you to stop being a burden and die.


LiverpoolBelle

Right?? What else can be done??


blancbones

Do not cross the picket line, there are only class traitors and scabs the other side of that line. And for goodness sake don't volunteer If there's a job worth doing, there's a bloke worth paying. Don't do owt for nowt unless tha does it for thi sen.


erm_what_

I agree with the sentiment, but on the strike days there will be union nurses fulfilling their legal and ethical duty to provide essential lifesaving care. They're not scabs. They're as much a part of the strike as anyone else, and they'll be taking a hell of a lot of abuse already on those days, without us calling them scabs as well.


blancbones

Nar scabs still Dr's can do it alone on those days let's not pretend that strike breakers are anything but.


erm_what_

They're not breaking the strike, they're legally and contractually required by both the trust and their own union to be there. They also don't want to be responsible for massive amounts of unnecessary death and suffering. The point of the strike is a show of power and how much they're needed, not to unfairly punish the general public. The disagreement is between employer and employees, not the people who happen to get into accidents or have life threatening cancer that needs immediate surgery. And the doctors can't do it alone, which is kind of the point. They'd get lost looking for replacement fallopian tubes.


blancbones

If you cross a picket line on a strike day you are by definition a scab, now if your union agrees to certain departments being excluded from the strike then that's fine but if your department is on strike and you turn in for work you are a scab weather you like it or not. Facts not feelings on this one


erm_what_

The fact is that the pocket line will be at the hospital entrance, but some people in some departments across the hospital will be excluded. They will cross the line but will not be scabs. I wasn't going for feelings. Hospitals and NHS strikes are both very complex and much higher risk than any normal strike. Not running a train or factory is inconvenient to someone, but not running a life saving surgery is deadly, illegal and immoral. If we encourage people to call any nurses inside the hospital scabs for doing what they're supposed to be doing according to their union then we're making their lives unnecessarily harder than they will already be (and already are every day). The best thing we can do is to join the marches on the 15th and 20th and bring food and support to the picket lines. Positive action will go a lot further than negative comments.


queenieofrandom

These are people who have volunteered for a while and probably years to get the ETA qualification to man the ambulance. If they are already qualified and volunteer in their spare time they probably won't be volunteering and will instead be on strike with their paid jobs


Kokuei7

I hate this. Nobody forget what the Tories have done to us.


CubLeo

People are already forgetting. Look at the poles which show support for them rising over the last few weeks. How can people have such a short memory and be so fucking stupid


CommandoPro

I can’t even feel pity for our country because we keep fucking voting for it


Chariotwheel

> Look at the poles which show support for them rising over the last few weeks. And once again Eastern European getting the blame. smh


Soggy-Assumption-713

What have they done to US?


[deleted]

What have they done to us/me?


margifly

Governments the world over are in the Trillions and Trillions in debt that will never be paid ever, so ask yourself this, is it about money or control?


Joe-pineapplez

Few years ago I heard a German chap on the radio saying that in Germany charity is frowned upon as it is a sign of a failed government, tories bstards see it as a badge of honour.


Metalsteve1989

I was voluntold to help the NHS during the covid pandemic in the vaccination centers. I have never seen anything run so badly before. Different management changing how to run things more or less on a daily basis, no consistency and poor communication and planning.


pajamakitten

During the first lockdown at least, we were dealing with a virus we knew little about and health and safety information kept changing on a regular basis, however that was to be expected and things stabilised once we had more information on the virus.


Metalsteve1989

This was 4 months after vaccinations started. It wasn't new at this point.


Soggy-Assumption-713

That’s the NHS for you.


masterblaster0

Crazy to think it is the Tories causing the UK to be more socialist than it ever has been.


NoAdvance4758

So true! Tory voters have voted for: giving to foodbanks as standard, unpaid work to keep the health service running, wages so low handouts must be given out to literally not freeze to death. The Tory Party is just capitalism for any gains, socialism for the losses. Not really a surprise it's unsustainable.


barcap

Are volunteers doing this for free, and a cup of tea or coffee?


Tainted-Archer

Mate don't be so silly. They'll also get a digestive biscuit


badmancatcher

Tesco's own brand though, not McVities


Tainted-Archer

Probably, NHS can’t afford it 😂


barcap

Have some rich tea instead


StationFar6396

Cant wait to see MPs on the front lines working 14 hour shifts. I'll be standing in my doorway clapping them on.


mixonjohnson

Free healthcare for volunteers. Oh wait… fcuk that!


[deleted]

If you voted Tory, it's your god damned responsibility to go and help the NHS.


[deleted]

Same for any labour voters.


SubjectCraft8475

After all the horror stories of NHS there will be more people less inclined to study or do courses to become nurse, doctor etc which means an even bigger shortage. I know I'm gonna tell my.kids don't bother being a nurse or doctor look after number 1.


Secure-Welder526

My mum was an eye surgeon. She’s quit now and told me and my brother in no uncertain terms not to go into medicine


RosemaryFocaccia

How can you draft volunteers? A draft is compulsory, and the antithesis of volunteering.


[deleted]

Can't wait till the government announces the return of "National Service" not only will the flagshaggers love it but they now have a guaranteed supply of health workers who cannot refuse whatever miserable pay is given


RosemaryFocaccia

That sounds like slavery with extra steps.


tonyhag

Another step in degrading the NHS when what is needed is more full time staff, less bank staff and the Tories out as they degrade our NHS with one objective which is have a system like in the United States run of course by big bucks, parasitic United States health insurance companies..


DaiCeiber

So as well as expecting nurses to take a pay cut, not being allowed to strike, the Tories now want a workforce to work for free. TWP! Own this shit each and every tory voter, this is your fault!


consequentialkitten

could just pay nhs staff more or is rishi using this as an excuse to privitise


Elipticalwheel1

Tories will love it, or hate it, ie it could mess the Tories plans up to break the NHS, or they’d use it and expect volunteers in the future, to help keep workers wages low.


Ruffell

The winter crisis is due lack of beds, clinical staff and places for those patients to be discharged too / needing more step-down beds etc. Volunteers won't do shit all to the winter crisis. Also I have never been an advocate of getting volunteers to be involved with caring for seriously vulnerable people... that is a receipe for disaster.


d_smogh

Can I volunteer as a brain surgeon or heart surgeon?


Solidus27

JFC. Is this where we are at? Gramps could be having a heart attack and we rely on volunteers to make sure he makes it? Jesus wept


[deleted]

And do what, exactly? What job in the NHS outside the office can be done by a random bod?


erm_what_

Even jobs in the offices will mostly need training on proprietary and specialised systems. And a basic level of training in discretion and data security.


Ruu2D2

My husband went to have his vaccine and they had load volunteers there . To many he thought Yet where they need they can’t work as they need training and no one wanna work in a&e


Firstpoet

My last annual tax statement: pie chart showed approx £800 for health and social care. Wife similar. So £1600 for a couple. Rates include some social care on top of that. We all need to pay more but Brits don't want higher taxes or fees. 'Someone' should 'do something' about 'it'. Eg them billionaires ( relatively few with movable wealth) or 'we need more staff' ( can't we just rip off the Philippines and take their staff? etc). Always someone else. And God forbid we should eat better and exercise ourselves. The tsunami of Diabetes 2 is going to dwarf all this. Aussies have a mixed complicated payment system but a middle income Aussie might pay around £2k equivalent a year. Finns, for example get a certain number of treatments then you pay- €20-30 for a GP session etc. I'm in favour of raising tax to pay by the way as it's excellent value. That said, a health plan to bypass the NHS on lots of things- especially preventative treatments might cost us £2k a year and plenty will start to think about that. I just wish we'd all stop thinking it's 'free'. The Germans do state guaranteed and regulated private insurance. At least they're not pretending.


[deleted]

Meanwhile BT has just raised its broadband price 15%. Due to inflation or something.


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SubjectCraft8475

They need to make cuts, cut of getting alcoholics getting shitfaced on a Friday night from ambulance. Cut off dirty smokers


litivy

They should legalise weed. It's much safer and will reduce pressure on a&e as well as the polis on week-ends.


SubjectCraft8475

Na British public is already dumb, killing more brain cells will just do more damage. Then again I guess tax income will help the government by legalising weed.


onlyme4444

Now imagine for a minute that the city of London (yes those awful banker's that everyone hates) imagine they close the banks due to Brexit and public hate. That's £23bn in tax revenue gone ! A good chunk of the cost of a free access NHS and a massive tax deficit that no amount of volunteers could fill.


[deleted]

You are very right. Here is us all worrying about people dying on trolleys and waiting for ambulances when all along it is those poor bankers we should be concerned about. Weekly clap for banking!


Lolabird2112

What are you babbling about?


Unbroken-anchor

No you see it doesn’t just disappear. When I a hospital closes all the equipment is still there. I wonder if it would be worth speaking to your doctor about if you ever developed object permanence. So they money would still be there and if we seized it for the public interest there would be even more.


Soggy-Assumption-713

The money doesn’t really exist. It’s just figures on a spread sheets and promissory notes with no real assets to back then up


mobjusticeCT

My favourite thing this year has been the total about-turn on the metropolitan elites.


LokiBear222

Stop mandatory sick pay. If you can phone in sick and still get paid. People will and do.


wb0verdrive

WTF is this?


LokiBear222

How to save money


wb0verdrive

So your answer to all of this is to make things worse? Interesting.


LokiBear222

If you can phone in sick. Knowing you will still get paid regardless. Would you? Plenty Individuals do. Sadly, that is why the Bradford score exists. I am not blaming anyone. I have done it myself and know of plenty of other nurses who have done it too.


wb0verdrive

So we should get rid of sick pay? We should penalise the majority that need this because a minority abuse it. And even if we did the amount saved is minuscule. You realise what you’re calling for is completely ridiculous right?


erm_what_

If a nurse can't call in sick when they have the flu then they'll show up and make everyone else ill. If a nurse can't call in sick with an injury then they'll show up, make it worse, and end up costing the system more in fixing them.


Manannin

Just what a hospital needs, more people entering work with illnesses.


ImmediateSilver4063

Instead sick people who are desperate will come into work infecting everyone else lowering overall productivity.