Thread by @NHSMillion

Um…@DailyMailUK what is this? How we have gone from clapping to telling exhausted staff they shouldn’t take leave?

Let’s set the record straight shall we? 🧵👇🏻(1/9)

We have a workforce crisis in the NHS. That existed before the pandemic. Why? We have a retention problem. We can’t retain staff because they feel so devalued, are asked to do too much with too little and end up burning out and leaving.

This was pre-pandemic.

(2/9)

Now take those exhausted, burnt out staff and throw them into the pandemic.

They gave everything they had, and made enormous sacrifices to keep people safe. Many got COVID, more than once. Some got seriously ill. Over 1500 NHS workers died.

You clapped for us, remember? (3/9)

Sadly, after battling for many months we lost many dedicated members of NHS staff. They left not because they are selfish, but because they had given all they had to give. They were exhausted, in many cases with their mental health through the floor. Some have PTSD.

(4/9)

So now we are facing this wave with less people. The staff who are left are desperately trying to soldier on. Many were moved onto emergency rotas over Christmas. Many have voluntarily given up their leave. Many have continued to get sick working with COVID patients every day.

What happens to exhausted people who work too many hours, who repeatedly put their patients before themselves? They burn out. They go off sick. They leave. Which is why your suggestion that NHS staff shouldn’t be allowed to take leave is both upsetting and completely backwards.

(Also we are pretty sure it’s also illegal, but you might want to check on that).

(7/9)

So the next time you think about kicking NHS staff whilst they are down, just think about this. If you got into a serious car crash, or your child needed emergency surgery, or your loved one ended up in ICU…(8/9)

…would you want the NHS staff looking you or them to be on the top of their game? Or so exhausted they can’t even remember their own name?

We thought so.

No-one is asking for claps, but we could all do with just a basic level of respect.

Sincerely,

NHS staff everywhere x

Thanks to @Rachie_H for flagging 💙