General Discussion
Well, I went out to do my bit last night, but none of my neighbours appeared.
Was it just that people didn't know it was happening again, are people 'clapped out', or do people feel that there are better ways of supporting the NHS etc ?
Perhaps it was/is a mixture of things - not knowing about it and it being the middle of winter when not only is it dark at 8.00pm but also very cold being among them.
How else to support the NHS? Well, in terms of the costs of rolling out the vaccination I've read letters in national newspapers from people offering to pay not only for their own vaccination but also for others. I'd go along with that and would certainly make a financial contribution. Trouble is, I am not hearing anything from anyone, anywhere, about this suggestion being taken up. Perhaps those who could get the ball rolling are already involved in other forms of voluntary COVID related work and don't have the wherewithall to take on anything else. Anyone know anyway this could perhaps be rolled out locally in Dawlish perhaps?
And then there are the NHS staff. I'd willingly pay a bit more on my income tax if I was 100% assured that this would go towards NHS staff salary increase/staff hardship funds.
The successive governments have laid waste to beds and hospital for decades and every year come winter it is the same old story of abmbulances lined up outside hospitals with patients waiting to be seen. You can end up waiting hours in A and E to be seen when you are the only patient there. G.p's have had a payrise this year, but to actually see one in the flesh is not very easy.
I would say that many people feel the nhs needs to start to pull their finger out and do what they get paid for and if they do not have the equipment or staff then do something about it. Its not like the nhs doesnt get much funding
er........wasn't leaving the EU supposed to provide extra funding for the NHS? I seem to remember a figure of £350 million per week on the side of a bus. Anyone else remember that?
I fail to see how the money has been spent on furlough payments when the claim was nothing but a fabrication. Or, to put it more bluntly, one big Johnsonian lie.
I said maybe, this goverment through the pandemic has kept many in work and many small businesses will survive due to this goverments unprecedented financial support and plus they have poured huge amounts of cash into the NHS. My understanding of payments to the EU is we still owe 25bn so untill our debt is paid the NHS wont benefit.
If you click on this link https://fullfact.org/europe/does-brexit-dividend-exist/?utm_source=content_page&utm_medium=related_content
you will see that even when our monies to the EU stop, the NHS will not necessarily benefit.
To return to the original subject in the first post of this thread - how can we support the NHS? I imagine that means how can we, as individuals, help support, right now, in this present time, the NHS? Well, how about doing whatever we can to avoid becoming a Covid patient?
Here are some thoughts (and no apologies if it sounds preachy - the question was asked and I am giving some answers).
1. Get vaccinated when it is offered to you.
2. If you are wearing a mask then wear it over your nose as well as your mouth.
3. Stay home unless you have to absolutely, essentially, go out.
4. Keep at least two metres away from others.
5. Wash your hands frequently.
6. Take a small bottle of hand sanitiser with you when you go out.
7. If in a confined space, with difficulty avoiding others as they approach you, - turn your back on them.
8. Eat healthily.
9. Don't indulge in the 'disease' of British exceptionalism - because we, none of us, whatever our nationality, aren't exempt from being infected with Covid.
10. If you have money to spare, and a cry goes up for financial donations - cough up ( to use an unfortunate, but nevertheless appropriate, expression.) I can even suggest a slogan for any such campaign - Cough up for Covid.