One of our followers (via Emergency Services Humour on Facebook) sent us in a copy of this public post that was published by an oppo (colleague) on the #ThinGreenLine.
And it makes for a sombre read (scroll down)…
Only someone with their head buried deep in the sand will not comprehend or understand how important it is to ensure that the men and women who serve in the emergency services & NHS do not continually suffer from the effects of low morale.
Because when you need help in your darkest moments, then you would hope (and expect) that the brave men and women who are being sent to look after you, are themselves looked after.
But the truth is, that most (but not all) senior managers do not care about the morale of their ‘troops’…
Maybe because their hands are tied by their political masters who are obsessed with clinging onto power at any cost. Maybe because they have demonstrated values in their application for promotion which give zero attention as to how they will make sure that their staff are looked after, but gave loads of references as to how they would report one of their staff for a minor infraction of autocratic & draconian ‘rules’ and ‘regulations’…
Think I’m being dramatic? Then read the account below:
“We paramedics (as well as other emergency services/ NHS staff) work a 12hr shift with just 30 mins break ??
How many other jobs are out there where you are expected to work such long hours with just 30 mins to eat, drink and be merry??! ( I’m joking about the merry). ERRRRRMMMM!! Not many !!! Everyone in the NHS is being asked to work longer and longer hours with no consideration of how this affects their own physical and mental health !!
This job is at worst mentally exhausting listening to everyone’s moans and groans on just about anything and everything?? (None of which we can do anything about by the way )
Too physically exhausting when you have to carry someone who weighs 20stone + down the stairs for the 3rd time that day ??? Because believe it or not our patients do not levitate onto our stretcher ??Although we do pray for this daily ?? A long with finishing our shift on time !! Which is a blessing , not a given ??
2. Moving on too 111 ??? Well now where do we start with this number ?? The theory behind it is great ?? One number does it all ?? Well the real number that does it all is 999!! Here is my top 3 999 calls from 111 this month??
- Life threatening wound to forearm !! Losing more than 2mug falls of blood ?? Actually it was a cat scratch ?? Patient tried to bath their cat ?? Cat didn’t like it much and scratched her ?? Yep ! That’s a 999 emergency !!
- 3 month old baby with severe breathing difficulties?? Actually was a baby with hiccups for more than 10mins ?? Yep that was a 999 response too.
- 42yr old male with breathing difficulties?? Actually he had dropped his remote control and couldn’t bend over to pick it up as he was clinically obese and couldn’t bend over ?? Yep that was also a 999 response .
Soo peeps ??? am I painting a picture of how crazy the NHS has become ?? We just can’t say NO YOUR NOT GETTING AN AMBULANCE !!!
Soo moving on some more….,,
I’ve personally had enough of going to intoxicated individuals in the street who think I’m their surrogate mother?? I’m expected to hold their hair out the way whilst they vomit onto my shoes and then expect me to take them home because no taxi will touch them !! Funny enough I didn’t get taught how to deal with these individuals at university I’ve spent the past 20 years dealing with them and quite frankly I’ve had enough !!!
Moving on some more…….
I have also had enough of dealing with intoxicated males who think it’s funny to make sexual comments towards you, put their hands on you inappropriately and expect you to be just fine and dandy with it??
Because it’s all done under the umbrella of I’ve had too much to drink so I can act any way I like cause I’m pissed ?? !!! Well it’s not acceptable and we shouldn’t have to put up with it?? Yet it goes on everyday, in every city, in every ambulance service and A&E department up and down the land ??
When is someone, somewhere going to get some balls and realise that alcohol is costing the NHS Millon’s in self inflicted illnesses and Injuries !! As well as having public servants expected to put up with this crap cause it’s seen as part of job ?? Well not what I personally signed up for ???
And moving on some more …..,
Nowhere in my contract does it say that as a PARAMEDIC I will become a councillor, social worker, mental health assessor, police officer or cleaner ??? I am not trained to tune in your TV, fix your boiler , or pick your shopping up from Sainsburys ??? Yet !! These are all things we are now expected to do ??
Soo people are you still there??? Are you still with me?? So can I just say to everyone of my mad crazy colleagues and fellow NHS workers I love you !!
I think we all do a bloody brilliant job in times of public criticism, high demand and unrealistic public expectations. So if anyone wants to offer me a job, doing anything else on my pay band just drop me a line !! I’m happy to get my P45 and go where I might actually be needed !! RANT OVER !! “
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