[Livia]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Both of my parents worked in the NHS for their whole careers, my wife is an NHS nurse (MH, but she's still out there in work) and she has dozens, if not more, friends working in acute adult medicine including several working in A&E and ICU departments from London to Aberdeen.

Personally I'm not talking about this as a "Well, actually" person from the sidelines - I'm stating the fact that many of the front-line NHS staff out there "being heroes" find the clapping incredibly frustrating when its coming from people - and being organised by tabloids - who have been taking them for granted and abusing them for years with low pay, poor conditions, and little consideration... And a government that has shown them nothing but contempt... But now one and all are happy to declare them "selfless heroes!" and treat them like soldiers. They're not "troops", they're skilled professionals who people have been happy to neglect when it suited but now are happy to place on a pedestal and hide behind like a wall of flesh, while they sit at home with a bag of doritos and clap.

How about people use that clapping time to write to their MP and DEMAND that the NHS is secured for the future, that NHS staff get a significant increase in pay and conditions, and state that they're happy to have their taxes increased to cover that? How about people show their appreciation by committing to never voting for a party that will mistreat and underpay healthcare workers ever again? I'm not saying everyone clapping ever did, but PLENTY of them did, and we all know deep down, once this has passed, they'll forget how "grateful" they were very, very quickly and no one will give a **** in two years time when nurses are still undervalued and underpaid.

Great time to urge people to write to their MP, TS.

Can't we get over the whole virus thing and then continue with the political scaremongering?