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Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

HappyHacker1 said:
I have no idea what the fellas beef is, some previous posting from me to him, he says, so I'm not exactly sure what I have done wrong. I have challenged what he has said in this topic, it was himself who seems to be carrying things on, but I take on board what you say.
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Oh, please. You’re so adept at trolling you don’t even know you’re doing it.

Cast your mind back to the “Essential Services” thread, where you also had to be told to wind your neck in, and stop trying to come across like butter wouldn’t melt.

Final word from me, Phil, and apologies that you have had to intervene.
 
bobmac said:
I don't care , what part of STAY IN do you not understand?
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Have you read ALL the recommendations/rules?

I suggest you check the 'exercise' part of them.

Given the nature of SILH's foray, I'd suggest it's within the bounds of the above! Certainly not as daft as the idiot walking out of my local Waitrose yesterday, that has 1 or 2 guards restricting access, who walked within a foot of 3 of us on his exit!! Or the idiots having a communal smoke at the window of the flats across the road!
 
Some petition going around about MPs being able to apply for a £10k grant.
It was initially reported they were all going to get it and a petition against that was raised but the articles neglected to say it was optional.
This did cause some people to write to their MP and offer up an opinion.
I have seen one MP’s response (Worthing, I think) where he sets everyone straight about it being optional and not a general increase to their wages.
But the questions that remain, why would they need £10k to wfh ? And why is this amount physically available, where was it generated?

The rest of his post is about how he has been dishing out Easter eggs to NHS staff, how he has shopped at Sainsbury’s to give them vital food after their shifts ... plus how as an MP he is far too busy to reply to these emails due to his constituency work.

Generally left the impression that he was failing to stay at home and follow the guidelines and was seeking some form of political gain ... had he just said that it was an optional grant offered up by the independent body to cover x costs that might have been better.
 
harpo_72 said:
Some petition going around about MPs being able to apply for a £10k grant.
It was initially reported they were all going to get it and a petition against that was raised but the articles neglected to say it was optional.
This did cause some people to write to their MP and offer up an opinion.
I have seen one MP’s response (Worthing, I think) where he sets everyone straight about it being optional and not a general increase to their wages.
But the questions that remain, why would they need £10k to wfh ? And why is this amount physically available, where was it generated?

The rest of his post is about how he has been dishing out Easter eggs to NHS staff, how he has shopped at Sainsbury’s to give them vital food after their shifts ... plus how as an MP he is far too busy to reply to these emails due to his constituency work.

Generally left the impression that he was failing to stay at home and follow the guidelines and was seeking some form of political gain ... had he just said that it was an optional grant offered up by the independent body to cover x costs that might have been better.
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From what I’d read it was for setting up costs to work at home? Surely they all do that and have those facilities in place already? If anything was a bad idea from where ever it stemmed from that would get the public’s back up, again, it was this.
 
Old Skier said:
A doctor in a London hospital, a doctor not the logie, tweets that they are running out of some items of PPE. Within 12 hours that hospital has the items required. Seems there's more wrong with the hospital systems rather than the government.

Three NHS workers questioned on Breakfast news said they have more than they need. So it looks like NHS systems need looking at.

Friend of HID is a senior nurse and she said that admin staff who have no contact with patients are in offices demanding full PPE. Perhaps fear is causing some to go OTT in some circumstances. Who knows
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I work with our technicians a lot and I can categorically say we (as in my trust) are not getting sufficient PPE but even worse we are not getting the component parts we need to maintain vital equipment like ventilators. The orders are in but either coming back as awaiting stock, delayed awaiting shipping or shipping in anything from 3-30 days.
 
Re. the MPs, they will all have constituency offices where the majority of their local work is undertaken away from Westminster, so not every MP (and more importantly their staff) will be set up to work from home.

I would imagine that a number of the new MPs elected in the last election will need to take up some of this optional allowance to keep themselves 'in business' during these challenging times.

And don't forget there are a calls for Parliament to resume in a virtual capacity, so MPs home IT will need to be as good as it can be to allow Parliamentary business to run efficiently.

And just also for clarity, my government department (and I think most others) has offered every single one of its staff up to £150 to purchase any equipment we need for us to WFH effectively.

Personally I don't need anything so I don't need to claim, but I have colleagues who do need specialist equipment and have therefore had to make use of this allowance. Would imagine that the Civil Service bill once this is all over will far exceed any MPs.
 
I'll find out tomorrow how long the patient in question was in ICU but some positive news from our ICU facebook page

Hi Everyone ... we did it ... our long term covid-19 patient was discharged to Kennet ward passing through an applauding 30-plus MDT guard of honour ... emotional moment for her and many of us ?
 
Foxholer said:
Have you read ALL the recommendations/rules?

I suggest you check the 'exercise' part of them.
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Do you really think I haven't seen them?
Do you really think I don't know what the recommendations are.
How stupid do you think I am?

A politician says go out and exercise.
I don't care.
A scientist says stay in.
He/she I will listen to.
Who wants your vote and who knows what they're talking about.
 
PieMan said:
Re. the MPs, they will all have constituency offices where the majority of their local work is undertaken away from Westminster, so not every MP (and more importantly their staff) will be set up to work from home.

I would imagine that a number of the new MPs elected in the last election will need to take up some of this optional allowance to keep themselves 'in business' during these challenging times.

And don't forget there are a calls for Parliament to resume in a virtual capacity, so MPs home IT will need to be as good as it can be to allow Parliamentary business to run efficiently.

And just also for clarity, my government department (and I think most others) has offered every single one of its staff up to £150 to purchase any equipment we need for us to WFH effectively.

Personally I don't need anything so I don't need to claim, but I have colleagues who do need specialist equipment and have therefore had to make use of this allowance. Would imagine that the Civil Service bill once this is all over will far exceed any MPs.
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I remember being given a headset for £15 and a vpn pass key ... had a lap top and phone already issued and told to crack on ...
 
Fish said:
I get what you’re saying Paul, but £10k ?
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Robin, just have a think how much it would cost to effectively set up a working office away from Westminster, especially with all the security that is needed.

And this is an optional, 'if needed' cost - a significant number of MPs that have been in parliament won't need this and won't even think about claiming it.

Yes 10k is a huge amount of money, but those who authorised it would have been advised by the relevant parliamentary bodies as to what maximum costs would be.

My MP is a Cabinet Minister - if it came out that he needed to claim say £5k to upgrade his home IT - and that of his staff - to undertake the work that he's been elected to do effectively during this exceptional period then fair enough IMO.
 
harpo_72 said:
Plus a salary of £65-70k, possibly a surgery to meet a constituency .. guys it’s not required it’s about willing and being resourceful.
Some strong management required .. no is an acceptable answer.
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And a number have said they don't need it so won't be claiming it!!
 
harpo_72 said:
Plus a salary of £65-70k, possibly a surgery to meet a constituency .. guys it’s not required it’s about willing and being resourceful.
Some strong management required .. no is an acceptable answer.
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And the answer would be no. If you asked me to set up a home office from scratch and pay for it out of my pocket the answer would be a quick, derisory laugh and a no.
 
PieMan said:
Robin, just have a think how much it would cost to effectively set up a working office away from Westminster, especially with all the security that is needed.

And this is an optional, 'if needed' cost - a significant number of MPs that have been in parliament won't need this and won't even think about claiming it.

Yes 10k is a huge amount of money, but those who authorised it would have been advised by the relevant parliamentary bodies as to what maximum costs would be.

My MP is a Cabinet Minister - if it came out that he needed to claim say £5k to upgrade his home IT - and that of his staff - to undertake the work that he's been elected to do effectively during this exceptional period then fair enough IMO.
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Would they not already have IT systems set up in their constituency offices? And if so couldn't they simply move whatever they need from there to their homes during this period?

I have no idea if that is feasible which is why I'm asking the questions.
 
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