These Covid Polices Are Going Well .....

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Craig the cyclist

Über Member
Maybe you could read the linked article, to show that you're interested in discussion instead of point-scoring?

It isn't point scoring. Your pithy little summary says 'healthcare workers', which quietly insinuates 'nurses', I just wondered if you knew which healthcare workers are having the free tests withdrawn? Of course, if it easier, just say 'I haven't got a clue, but it sounds worse if I write that'
 

deptfordmarmoset

Über Member
It isn't point scoring. Your pithy little summary says 'healthcare workers', which quietly insinuates 'nurses', I just wondered if you knew which healthcare workers are having the free tests withdrawn? Of course, if it easier, just say 'I haven't got a clue, but it sounds worse if I write that'
So quietly that I didn't hear it....
 

icowden

Legendary Member
It isn't point scoring. Your pithy little summary says 'healthcare workers', which quietly insinuates 'nurses', I just wondered if you knew which healthcare workers are having the free tests withdrawn? Of course, if it easier, just say 'I haven't got a clue, but it sounds worse if I write that'
And as @mjr said - perhaps you could read the article. If you did, you would notice this bit:

After the Treasury slashed its budget to deal with Covid, UKHSA is now proposing to health ministers that it suspend regular asymptomatic testing in hospitals and care homes from May to save money before a potential winter spike in cases.

Sources in the organisation said funding for asymptomatic testing in high risk settings is only enough to cover six months in a year, and senior officials believe it would be better saved for later in the year.
Thus healthcare workers (that's people who work in health and includes doctors, nurses, therapists, etc - I'll clear that up for you) will not have free access to asymptomatic testing (that's an LFT test to you and me) from May onwards as Boris has spaffed all the money up the wall on useless PPE. UKSHA are essentially saying we can't afford to keep testing when people are not showing any symptoms. Hopefully no-one will die as the result of a non-symptomatic Doctor or Nurse unwittingly spreading covid around seriously ill people, and we know that there is a bit less risk in summer due to windows being open and suchlike, so we are going to save the money for the winter.

You see, when a doctor / nurse / therapist gets flu, they tend to know about it and not come into work to do that heart transplant / brain surgery / etc. With covid, they might be fine but unwittingly infecting people - hence the need for testing.

The withdrawal of testing is not being led by health outcomes or health research, it is being led by there being no money from the Government which has now run out.

Ideas for improving matters at the treasury include rejoining the single market which would restore some of the many billions lost in trade every year, letting asylum seekers and migrants into the country as all evidence suggests that they put a considerable amount into the economy.

Boris and Rishi have no ideas left that don't involve them looking really stupid.
 

Craig the cyclist

Über Member
Thus healthcare workers (that's people who work in health and includes doctors, nurses, therapists, etc - I'll clear that up for you) will not have free access to asymptomatic testing (that's an LFT test to you and me) from May onwards as Boris has spaffed all the money up the wall on useless PPE.
Just to be clear, HCW does not just include doctors, nurses, therapists etc, you have fallen in to mjr's insinuation that patient facing staff are having their tests removed.

Actually all of those people you have helpfully listed will still be able to access LFD's (that is the proper name for LFTs to you) and will be able to test just as is now.

The 'healthcare workers' who are having the tests removed could be anyone else, like a person who works in stores and never goes near a patient, or someone who works in education of nurses/drs in Universities and so never goes near a patient, or the IT teams who may not even be based on site etc. A headline of 'NHS IT guy who works 11 miles from hospital and never sees a patient has free testing removed' is not quite so impactful is it?
UKSHA are essentially saying we can't afford to keep testing when people are not showing any symptoms.
No, they are not saying that. They are saying that the NHS needs to prep for next winter.
Hopefully no-one will die as the result of a non-symptomatic Doctor or Nurse unwittingly spreading covid around seriously ill people
Best not let anyone near a high risk patient at all then.
You see, when a doctor / nurse / therapist gets flu, they tend to know about it and not come into work to do that heart transplant / brain surgery / etc. With covid, they might be fine but unwittingly infecting people - hence the need for testing.
So it is really lucky that they will continue to be tested then eh? Again, don't fall for the headline.
 

icowden

Legendary Member
Just to be clear, HCW does not just include doctors, nurses, therapists etc, you have fallen in to mjr's insinuation that patient facing staff are having their tests removed.
Looking forward to the source of your definition...

In the article UKHSA refer to:
“To remove free asymptomatic testing from health and social care workers feels irresponsible.

The Department of Health and Social Care is responsible for health services in the UK. Anyone who works for the DHSC is a health and social care worker. Conventionally this includes doctors of all stripes (except arguably GP partners as they are contractors), nurses, therapists, ancillary workers etc.
UKHSA is now proposing to health ministers that it suspend regular asymptomatic testing in hospitals and care homes from May to save money before a potential winter spike in cases.
Who do you think is being regularly tested in hospitals and care homes?

Sources in the organisation said funding for asymptomatic testing in high risk settings is only enough to cover six months in a year, and senior officials believe it would be better saved for later in the year.
Translation. We don't have enough funding to keep doing this so we are going to do the months likely to be the most problematic.
So it is really lucky that they will continue to be tested then eh? Again, don't fall for the headline.
Again, looking forward to the supporting evidence.
 
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Craig the cyclist

Über Member
Thus healthcare workers (that's people who work in health and includes doctors, nurses, therapists, etc - I'll clear that up for you)
But you offered the definition above, why do I have to offer the source?
HCW does not just include doctors, nurses, therapists etc,
Are you telling me that a cleaner in a hospital is not a health care worker?
Looking forward to the source of your definition...
It's my job.
 

Craig the cyclist

Über Member
When you decide to quibble a definition it's best to start with your own definition to show the differences

Or not and continue to look like a fool who's desperate for some attention.
Ok, let me make it really really easy. mjr is wrong, or if he was Boris Johnson you would say he is lying.

Patient facing Health Care workers are not getting free tests removed from them. mjr is lying to boost his point.
 

Craig the cyclist

Über Member
Again, looking forward to the supporting evidence.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/get-tested-for-coronavirus/

How about that? It even handily lists some health care workers, who aren't drs, nurses or therapists who may be able to get a test, which should also clear up your confusion about who works in health.

If you work in the NHS or in social care​

You are eligible for free tests if you're:

  • NHS patient-facing staff
  • staff who deliver NHS services through an independent healthcare provider, and have direct contact with NHS patients
  • a social worker
  • a personal assistant
  • a Shared Lives carer
  • a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector

A little different from the mjr headline eh?
 

icowden

Legendary Member
A little different from the mjr headline eh?
Yes it is. For a start it was created on the 14th of April and represents guidance available on that date.
The UKHSA advises the NHS and the Government their advice is that this cannot continue as there is not enough funding. I suspect that on 28th April when this page is reviewed it will get updated.
How about that? It even handily lists some health care workers, who aren't drs, nurses or therapists who may be able to get a test, which should also clear up your confusion about who works in health.
I've worked in the NHS for 20 years Craig, I do know what a patient facing worker is. It was you who were confused - although you now seem confused about your own standpoints, having just contradicted your own assertions. It's almost like you did no research at all prior to posting.

PS. The Government doesn't have enough cash for daily updates for every web page they host across their departments.
 
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mjr

Active Member
Ok, let me make it really really easy. mjr is wrong, or if he was Boris Johnson you would say he is lying.

Patient facing Health Care workers are not getting free tests removed from them. mjr is lying to boost his point.
I made no such insinuation. You are lying about what I wrote, which is visible above for all to see, and who testing is being removed from. I believe it is not only off-site support staff affected and it is some public-contact workers, unless you can post evidence contradicting the Royal Society for Public Health director's statement.
 

Craig the cyclist

Über Member
Thus healthcare workers (that's people who work in health and includes doctors, nurses, therapists, etc - I'll clear that up for you)
Oooh, subtle change here though......
I've worked in the NHS for 20 years Craig, I do know what a patient facing worker is.
You have moved from health care worker to patient facing worker, very subtle, very clever.

So what do you do in the NHS?
 

Craig the cyclist

Über Member
I made no such insinuation. You are lying about what I wrote, which is visible above for all to see, and who testing is being removed from. I believe it is not only off-site support staff affected and it is some public-contact workers, unless you can post evidence contradicting the Royal Society for Public Health director's statement.
I love it when you get angry. Of course the insinuation was 'drs, nurses and therapists' it is exactly what icowden picked up on, and even took the time to clarify his understanding of.

I didn't say it was only off-site workers did I? I said 'patient facing', there will be hundreds of people working in a hospital every day who aren't patient facing. Why would we test them? We don't test the people in a supermarket, on the bus, in the school, dropping off their meals, washing their car etc etc etc do we?
 
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