Don’t underestimate this u-turn

Scones there is no need for touchy replies, and my comments were not a quick and inaccurate stick put down but trying to give a bit of balance.
Lack of specialist nurses are ( according to the BMJ) due to short and long term illness and some vacancies.
Lack of HGV drivers ( which is everywhere) is affecting refuse collections and self isolating drivers has added to this problem.
Nichola Sturgeon requested army help to drive ambulances, and this is what the army does during emergencies, and am sure the people of Scotland don’t mind who is driving as long as they are taken to hospital quickly.

lemongrove

Scones there is no need for touchy replies, and my comments were not a quick and inaccurate stick put down but trying to give a bit of balance.
Lack of specialist nurses are ( according to the BMJ) due to short and long term illness and some vacancies.
Lack of HGV drivers ( which is everywhere) is affecting refuse collections and self isolating drivers has added to this problem.
Nichola Sturgeon requested army help to drive ambulances, and this is what the army does during emergencies, and am sure the people of Scotland don’t mind who is driving as long as they are taken to hospital quickly.

Now you see, there you go again, straight in with the 'Touchy'. You do know you do this silencing thing with the 'touchy' or the 'Not so' don't you? I'm sure you can't or you wouldn't do it.

Anyway, to the issue in hand.

Your second post contradicts your first with regard to the causes of nursing staff shortages. You say 'some vacancies' the RCN suggested a shortage of 50,000 nurses even before Covid. That's a lot of 'some'.

This article explains the reasons behind the crisis in the Scottish ambulance service www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58588112. The 'emergency' has many contributing factors most of which are systemic failures in a system which has been neglected, underfunded and starved to the bone.

Unlike you I am unable to speak for the people of Scotland, but I imagine many of them would support a system that provides a functioning ambulance service which can accommodate extremis.

I worked for a large police force during the ambulance strike in 1989. The army did step in but they needed a police officer with them as they couldn't find places. Might be easier now with satnav but even then with an emergency would it be faster with someone who knows the area?

From what I was told by officers who were working with the army not all the army guys were well qualified, so not the same as a paramedic arriving more like a first aider. Might have varied but that was his experience. He had to point out that a teenager was in labour, she was denying it, her mother was saying it was impossible and the army guy accepted it. Good job our officer was good at fielding at cricket as he had to catch the baby as she tried to climb into the army ambulance, apparently a big step up. I think they believed him then.

Scones I have no idea what you are talking about, as to silencing.....we all have our own opinions on subjects and that’s all it is.We shall have to agree to disagree, although I will just add ( subject of ambulances) that the pandemic has put such a strain on ambulance drivers and the NHS that there was nothing wrong in NS asking for help, the army have helped out all over the UK in the last 18 months.

the worriedwell
Before the pandemic, my DH needed to be taken into hospital as an emergency and the ambulance paramedics had no local knowledge at all, had come from further afield.Unfortunately they took no notice of my advice as to the route ( which I knew like the back of my hand) and relied on the sat nav.A big mistake. Am just pointing out that it all depends on where the nearest free ambulance is, as to who gets to you in an emergency.
Knowledgable local paramedics are always the best option, but if the the choice is being left on the floor for hours or the army being there soon, then that’s what you would choose.

Really? No idea? I guess emotional intelligence isn't for everyone.

The government could get quite desperate.

That’s actually quite funny MaizieD ?although I liked the Matt cartoon better ‘If you can eat this sausage sarnie and drink this mug of tea you’ve passed!’ ( HGV testing Centre)

Septimia

^They know that leaving the single market has never been voted on by the British public, and a return would undoubtedly be welcomed by the vast majority. ^

I didn't vote to leave the EU (I didn't vote to stay, either, as I could see pros on cons for both) and I didn't vote to join in the first place.

I know that much of the process hasn't been handled well but I, for one, have no desire to rejoin a group where, I feel, we've never been welcome and where the 'one size fits all' system of regulations simply doesn't fit all.

There were always going to be teething problems with the leaving process, Covid hasn't helped, but it does seem there was a distinct lack of foresight.

I believe we, as a country - as ordinary citizens - were welcome in the EU. The animosity, such as it was, was directed at our governments who seemed not to want to be team players, but always demanding op-outs (as of course, was our right).

As for the 'one-size-fits-all' regulations - as far as trade is concerned that is a necessity... think of rules on safety, hygiene, etc. You can't allow different standards for different countries if you want to buy from a reputable market.

If you mean regulations like the Working Time Directive, well yes, we did have to abide by this rule. BUT, adults over 18 could still opt out of the max 48 hours for a definite or indefinite period if they chose to, it's just that employers couldn't force you to do so, or sack you because you refused. And in the 21st Century - is this such a bad thing? Should we, in this era of automation and technology, still be working under the same constraints as we did in the 50s?

Perhaps we were fixated with being "told what to do" by the EU - even tho' were were among its most powerful members and had a seat at the 'top table' so to speak? We'd rather be exploited by 'our own' than have Brussels telling us what to do...

We can vote out any political party here every five years.Therein lies the difference.

Perhaps we were fixated with being "told what to do" by the EU - even tho' were were among its most powerful members and had a seat at the 'top table' so to speak?

This very informative twitter thread lays out just what we did do in the EU. Initiated many of the institutions and rules that were vociferously complained about during the Brexit campaign. Yes, we were indeed influential.

twitter.com/EmporersNewC/status/1016761275295191040

I see poultry workers are now included in the temporary visas until Christmas Eve.

It isn’t going to work is it unless the remuneration is attractive enough, and can businesses afford that? Just how much are people prepared to pay for their meat and haulage goods?

The EU workers were covered by generic regulations and everyone knew where they were.

Now they will have no such protection, and will be kicked out after 3 months or more like 1 month once everything is put into place.

Time limiting an ongoing issues is ridiculous, and a waste of everyone’s time.

Where are the temporary visas for social care or hospital staff? Absolutely essential I would have thought.

The Telegraph is reporting that pharmacies are warning of shortages of prescription medicines and over the counter products which will get worse as winter progresses.

This is an example of a business flagging what could become a major issue and now is the time for the government to step in and sort it before it inevitably becomes a crises which it surely will.

Couldn’t make it up- the temporary visas end on Christmas Eve. That’ll be popular then.

We have loads of building g work going on at the moment. One of our builders who I can confirm is a ‘hard worker’ (Tory TM) used to be an HGV driver. He said the wages were never enough for the stress of the job & he has been trying to encourage his mates to switch jobs as well.

I do find it slightly amusing that one of the unmentioned benefits of Brexit will be to drive wages up for people in jobs the Tory types have always looked down upon (or have society collapse). Who will pay for all that? The likes of JRM & the billions he made from leaving the EU? Not a chance.

They need to get a move in with these visas though or increasing wages as the care sector is close to collapse as well. Of course people don’t notice that in the way they notice empty shelves but it will impact all of us gradually. Already large delays in getting people out of hospital.

I tried to get a sandwich in a cafe last week. They hadn’t been serving any for about a week due to staff shortages. Think these shortages are going to pop up everywhere.

vegansrock

Couldn’t make it up- the temporary visas end on Christmas Eve. That’ll be popular then.

They really couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery. The problems of ideology driving decisions rather than common sense.

This current fuel chaos was unpredictable but the labour shortages in the food processing sector was not. Since Brexit everyone in that industry, including farmers, has been calling for temporary visa but the government resisted, only repeating the mantra to hire local workers.

This is a bigger U-turn than HGV drivers.

Why don't they listen - I think deafened by ideology?

I’m sure unskilled workers will be recruited, even for 3 months.
Skilled workers like truck drivers will be much more difficult, we would have to offer them a better deal than they could get in Germany.

That’s true of unskilled as well. We were short of fruit/veg/flower pickers in 2019 as well because they were getting better deals in Germany & could see which way the Brexit winds were blowing.

Remember the chaos with the lorry drivers last year, huge car parks where they were all sat waiting to get home for Christmas. Do you think they will want to come over and leave their jobs Christmas Eve, I don’t hold out much hope. As been said before this incompetent, self serving government couldn't organise a p…s up in a brewery.

The reason younger Hgv drivers have taken other jobs is they were sick of being underpaid, even though they could earn £50k they had to work very long shifts and put up with being treated like crap by management. Employers want to keep the drivers earnings down which is why they want foreign drivers willing to undercut our own drivers. Our own drivers who have had to pay out a fortune to acquire the required training and jump through hoops of slowly acquiring licences for ever larger vehicles. Now they want to short cut that which will no doubt lead to more accidents and they also are removing the reverse manoeuvre from the Hgv test. Never mind that it's mandatory to reverse onto a bay to unload. I really hope we don't manage to recruit drivers from other countries, it's time the road haulage association addressed the real problem. Not only are many drivers retiring those that have qualified at their own expense in the last ten years will not tolerate the way they are treated so are also leaving. We have plenty of qualified, experienced Hgv drivers but they know their worth and it's about time we appreciated them. When they address the home / work balance and not expect ridiculous shift patterns to be tolerated we will be closer to finding the solution.

''As been said before this incompetent, self serving government couldn't organise a p…s up in a brewery.'' you'd be so lucky! Perhaps when pubs run out of beer, especially 'Spoons' some quitters will take notice!

I suspect on of many u-turns yet to come will be some sort of reversal or compensation for the lose if the U/C.

I see Marcus Rashford has taken it up.

It is clear that Johnson recognises that he has lost the argument as as is usual he is using bare faced lies to justify the cut.

“We continually increase the Living Wage – last time by a record amount”

The most recent rise was in fact lowest increase in the National Living Wage since the policy was first introduced”

FlexibleFriend good post.