Return of The Clap?

l am afraid l stopped clapping when celebrities were filmed and it was hijacked by the media and the government for proper gander purposes. A similar thing happened with the repatriations in Wootton Bassett. It started as a spontaneous respectful act by the town for months until the media got hold of it. My husband is an NHS dentist who is over 65 and has worked in his own and emergency clinics through out. My son and his wife are junior doctors. All they request is adequate staffing levels and PPE!

Please just have the vaccine if possible and give us a pay rise. x

I won't be either. I haven't been able get an appointment with my docs from August and I know they are busy in hospitals, but at a local GP for over 4 months? I am sticking to the rules, doing as I'm told, so sorry I feel I'm doing enough. Also don't fancy standing in my garden, hail tipping on me and ended up with the flu. I won't get to see a doctor!!

First time around we needed to feel that sense of solidarity, and having a chat with our neighbours on a sunny evening was really good for morale. On a cold January in the darkness it would seem really pointless. If we want to do something positive let's 'STAY HOME, PROTECT THE NHS, SAVE LIVES!'

Clapping has done its bit I think ,something new needs to be done like petitioning for pay rises for ALL heroes, the unsung ones to be included.
Clapping this time serves no purpose.

I too initially thought a case of clap was circulating----rather have a case of champagne .

I didn't clap last time and I won't do it this time.

I'd increase their pay instead. At times, their job is thankless, I know because I've done it.

Clap or Don't Clap.

Or perhaps begin a more NHS Issue thread ?

Look at the time all the above Gransnetters have spent adding their thoughts to this one !

Ideas Anyone ?

One Love
One Planet

I'm reading an article now about groups of yobs gathering at Whiston hospital harrassing staff and patients/visitors. Also hanging around smoking cannabis. Totally unacceptable.

Songstress. My exact thoughts this morning upon thinking about the Honours List!?. Lewis Hamilton?? What a joke.

Any honours should have been bestowed, collectively, with a statement of appreciation upon those who are putting their lives on the line to care for others!

Jaxjacky I thought just the same ?

MayBee70

We did exactly as you suggested May - which is more than our local MP did - he voted against a pay increase - more than once!

At 8pm most days I'm outside giving my dogs a comfort break. When people were regularly clapping, banging saucepans or blowing a trumpet (one of my neighbours who clearly had never had a music lesson) I heard the noise but was never in time to join in.

Instead of clapping, just obey the rules and help keep the strain off the NHS.

No I don't think I want to freeze on my doorstep. Agree entirely about the pay rises. Now if someone was to start a Boo For Boris evening I might just wrap up warm and do it!!!

Who is behind this 'push'?

Jess20 it is the lady who started it last time, but I think she had seriously misread the mood of the nation this time - or at least anyone over 55 - and I suspect most of those before!

I'm with you trisher

I'm expecting to be shot down in pieces here but, here goes.
How much do posters think a nurse should be paid? At present an average band 5 nurse with no extra responsibility earns just a fraction short of £30,000. For pay to rise above the agreed incremental rate a similar arrangement would have to be made for all public sector workers. That would include all NHS medical staff, teachers, police, firefighters, prison staff etc etc etc. How on earth could the country possibly afford that?

My son, (doctor) was always adamant that he didn't want people clapping when this all started.

As did many of his peers. It was all a bit cringe.

They're getting quite vocal on the awful Twitter now

twitter.com/FionaSturges/status/1346820444129779714

So stay in the warm!

I've an idea Nanny27 - why not start with a cap on boardroom salaries - which are apparently now running at 34 x average salary. Then maybe make Income Tax avoidance schemes illegal, introduce a transaction tax to the city traders - which might curtail short selling and currency speculation.

Or, maybe raise corporation tax and require foreign owned businesses to pay tax on the profits that they make in the UK, instead of using say Luxembourg, Ireland or Poland as proxies.

The answer to your question may not lie in trading off one group of essential workers salaries against another, and could lead to perhaps challenging debates about whether an actor or a footballer should be paid more than say an A&E Consultant. How do we value non-value adding jobs like tax accountants, or PR consultants - do these roles really add value to our lives.

It is a difficult question, and no I was never going to mention expensive capital projects like HS2 or Crossrail, or a 3rd runway at Heathrow. The time for those vanity projects may well have passed - but "where does the money go" might be a better question than "how do we pay for increased wages for key public sector employees".

My daughter is a staff nurse on a covid ward and has told me not to bother. In her words "It's ok all these politicians standing on doorsteps clapping, but when it comes down to it we're not worth a decent wage", She's right, so no I won't be clapping either.

I also will not go outside tonight as clap. the nurses and doctors are doing a tremendous job but clapping is of no use to them. Roll on vaccines.

Our Close joined in the clapping first time around, then when it stopped we looked for a way to keep the community spirit it had encouraged. We now meet, at a distance, on Saturday mornings and bring contributions to our local food bank which is far more helpful than clapping.

Absolutely not ! An empty gesture this time around !
Just pay them their worth !