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Hospital staff too, don't seem to know masks are for both nostrils and mouth...
encaser
Member Posts: 172 Courageous
I went to A&E on Friday night. One of my doubts over going was, obviously, the pandemic. At first everything was fine and moving fairly well for a Friday night. However, when I eventually got to see a doctor, he had his mask hanging below his nose. I thought perhaps it'd slipped and he hadn't noticed but no, he would let it up or down at various points throughout being with me. This was quite surreal and worrying, I thought. He clearly saw me giving him the evils as I glanced at his nose and then eyes and started raising the mask on cue. He, apparently, has gone off sick now according to a nurse I know there.
I was laying there thinking how bad that was. Then a nurse came over to ask a bunch of general questions and yup, sure enough, there I was staring up at her uncovered nostrils like the barrel of a gun - pandemic pun intended.
Wow, this can't get worse? Yes, it really can. Another nurse was hunting for dressings or such, she'd unhooked one ear of the mask to see more easily in some drawers across the way and then came into my cubicle to look there too. This is madness, I thought.
When I spoke to my nurse friend, she shrugged and said, yeah, I often forget and we've all had COVID here so aren't that worried. Well, you might not be, I said. She laughed, then said, well you're in the green sector so you should be fine!
I never realised all who go into A&E cubicles or for outpatient's aren't tested for COVID, unless they are going to stay on a ward. That also seems crazy to me, as you can have multiple asymptomatic, as of yet, if ever symptomatic, people trucking in and out of hospital and never tracked or traced necessarily to the hospital if someone gets infected.
I'm not saying this is valid to all hospitals/staff but if people go into a hospital and the staff aren't bothering to follow the rules, it hardly sets a great precedent for others. And, yes, I realise it's not exactly the done thing to criticise the NHS at present, but come on!
I was laying there thinking how bad that was. Then a nurse came over to ask a bunch of general questions and yup, sure enough, there I was staring up at her uncovered nostrils like the barrel of a gun - pandemic pun intended.
Wow, this can't get worse? Yes, it really can. Another nurse was hunting for dressings or such, she'd unhooked one ear of the mask to see more easily in some drawers across the way and then came into my cubicle to look there too. This is madness, I thought.
When I spoke to my nurse friend, she shrugged and said, yeah, I often forget and we've all had COVID here so aren't that worried. Well, you might not be, I said. She laughed, then said, well you're in the green sector so you should be fine!
I never realised all who go into A&E cubicles or for outpatient's aren't tested for COVID, unless they are going to stay on a ward. That also seems crazy to me, as you can have multiple asymptomatic, as of yet, if ever symptomatic, people trucking in and out of hospital and never tracked or traced necessarily to the hospital if someone gets infected.
I'm not saying this is valid to all hospitals/staff but if people go into a hospital and the staff aren't bothering to follow the rules, it hardly sets a great precedent for others. And, yes, I realise it's not exactly the done thing to criticise the NHS at present, but come on!
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I totally agree with your concerns and am pleased to say this wasnt the case in my hospital all staff wore masks at all times
Maybe you should make a complaint to the hospital for the safety of others
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I have had the same experience when I have gone for blood tests at the hospital.
I have seen patients and medical staff not wearing a face covering or wearing it under their nose or chin. I have asked other patients to put their face coverings on properly only to be met with verbal abuse because they seem surprised when I politely ask them to put their face covering over their nose.
I have had the same problem in the local shops where both staff and customers don’t bother to wear any face coverings. Unfortunately these people have been in the majority.
I am in the shielding group so I no longer go to any shop as I do all my shopping online.
I am not surprised that we are in a second lockdown because I have seen so many people refusing to wear a face covering when they are supposed to and ignoring social distancing.
@encaser compare out health service with that of the USA and think yourself lucky that we have a service that is free at point of use for ALL who need it, not just those who can afford it !
The choice is simple: possible discomfort in wearing a mask etc. for staff or, be so selfish and/or careless as to risk killing someone.
it's a sad affair isn't it mate. My experiences over the years have been very mixed with the NHS and have met some patient 'characters' too that left me gobsmacked - not literally, thankfully!
Unfortunately, the pandemic is no doubt highlighting the worst side as well as the good.
It's brave of you to stand up and say, Hey, please could you? It's also very un-English too!
One of the things that struck me, was how I was prepared more to lay there and seethe in anger and disbelief (typically English!) and not immediately question and say, Hey, mask?
Shielding is a real inconvenience and possible stressor.
Sadly, there are many places in which mask wearing isn't being enforced. I understand that it's difficult to wear them all day, but if a rule is in place then it should be followed where possible, certainly whilst you're directly facing a customer, colleague or patient.
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Yes, you're right, I should complain for others too and so that was why I spoke with my nurse friend, who is a Sister on the A&E.
She said I could call PALS but all that would happen is a briefing sent out for staff to be reminded and nothing would really change, as staff would go back to what they were doing before. She also said that some of the PPE is annoying, hot to wear etc. and staff simply don't like it and will shrug it off for comfort. Also, that some of it is ill-fitting, which makes it difficult to keep in place.
It's a real between a rock and a hard place.
Thank you for your reply. I had to go to the hospital this week for a blood test and yet again you had lots of people wearing their masks under their noses or chins.
I have mentioned this in another thread but I nearly had a fall in the hospital because another problem is people standing in narrow hospital corridors talking thereby making it very difficult to social distance. I nearly fell because I tried to walk around them whilst avoiding the people coming towards me. Maybe it's just me but it does seem that too many people are far too relaxed.
I think the infection rates will go up because of the restrictions at Christmas being restricted.
I am used to shielding because it makes me feel safer although I accept it can be extremely difficult for some people.
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Back in September, I had an interview for a job at a Co Op in Shiregreen (Area is full of Chavs and a pain to get to) and the Manager said masks were optional for staff and customers.
I think a lot of people have ignored the rules regarding face coverings especially in small independent shops where even the staff don’t wear them.
It makes it worse when they also ignore social distancing.
Both ambulance drivers said that people are ignoring the rules far more in general now we've gotten to this second lockdown.
The same applies to shopping we shop once a week at one of the biggest Tesco stores in the country throughout they have done everything humanly possible to make the experience safe for us and their staff and should be applauded not slagged off.
It's not 'slagging them off', it's raising a very necessary concern.
To be clear, I have not said all hospital staff are rule breakers. But this virus only needs the few to disobey, others to see health care professionals doing so, follow suit and many others can and will pay for it.
Moreover, advising people to "STAY AT HOME" is reckless and dangerous. The NHS has been struggling to get patients to attend. Both the ONS and NHS have noted that far higher than normal numbers of people have died from heart disease and other quite possibly manageable or curable conditions/illnesses. They have stated that If those people had gone to seek care/called for an ambulance, they may well have survived but, in all likelihood, stayed at home in fear of COVID infection in a hospital and died.
Some establishments are enforcing the rules and others aren't, and some don't even have rules about things like face masks. Because of this we will all have differing experiences, and therefore differing thoughts on whether people are doing their best to contain the virus or not.
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It will differ on a case by case basis. Should that be how it is? Of course not, if there is a rule in place then every NHS facility should enforce it as much as possible, and allow exceptions where necessary.
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Anyway i've had my say and i'm out of here !
When I made the original post, it was partly in frustration at NHS staff, to read of other's experiences and how they felt in them at this terrible time and not to formulate one overbearing position.
If we all had one unifying experience, it would be great (hopefully) but ultimately dull and so no need for forums!