Breathtaking: facts and lies re COVID in the NHS

I think we NEED to see this ,to confirm the hypocrisy of the Downing St clowns.We lost several friends ,colleagues and family during that first lockdown,it seemed it was another death evry two or three days for weeks.IF the"government" had made some effort to keep supplies up to date and in stock and had the required pandemic programme in place this disaster might have been avoided.I say MIGHT because the incompetents in Downing St weren't interested in getting it right...just in flinging money at their mates.When will there be prosecutions for the misuse of PUBLIC money ...will Michelle Mone or Dido Harding EVER see the inside of a court? I cried my eyes out at this so many lost while Bojo and his chums partied.Makes me sick!

It's understandable that some people don't want to watch it. It doesn't pull any punches about the day to day horror faced by NHS staff. But it does not, I think, focus enough on the incompetent and uncaring Tory politicians in No. 10 and their false assurances that all was under control. Harassment by anti-vaxxer mobs outside hospitals was disgusting. The long term consequences of Covid are still not being addressed despite Tory promises. Breathtaking should have the same impact on the nation as the postmasters drama but I fear too many want to forget so the politicians will never be held to account.

Doodledog, you were fortunate, in that you had even the occasional clinic appointment.
I dare say, but I mentioned my own experience only to contrast what seemed to be an empty hospital (from the experience of outpatient clinics where I had bloods taken and other tests) with the reality on the wards. The detrimental impact on my health of not seeing clinicians is not really relevant to the programme.

I agree with Grantanow that this should have the same impact as the postmasters' drama, but that (sadly) it won't.

Doodledog you are right, my mother was admitted to hospital after a fall during the December 2020 - Spring 21 lockdown. She picked up Covid whilst she was there and passed it to me when she came home (we had been assured that two tests were negative and she was safe to return home.) Luckily she had it mildly but I had it badly and had to be admitted to hospital. It is true that many wards were lying empty and unused in the hospital because I saw them when I was taken for my CT scan and when I was finally wheeled out in a wheelchair to go home. Nonetheless the rest of the hospital did not close down otherwise my mother wouldn’t have been admitted and put into a ward for five days. It was not a Covid ward.

maddyone

Doodledog you are right, my mother was admitted to hospital after a fall during the December 2020 - Spring 21 lockdown. She picked up Covid whilst she was there and passed it to me when she came home (we had been assured that two tests were negative and she was safe to return home.) Luckily she had it mildly but I had it badly and had to be admitted to hospital. It is true that many wards were lying empty and unused in the hospital because I saw them when I was taken for my CT scan and when I was finally wheeled out in a wheelchair to go home. Nonetheless the rest of the hospital did not close down otherwise my mother wouldn’t have been admitted and put into a ward for five days. It was not a Covid ward.

I had the opposite experience. A bed could not be found for me initially, let alone a bed in HDU, because all the wards were full.

I've watched the full series and it was really good but shocking.
I'm surprised it's not all over the press like the post office scandal was?

When was that Marydoll?
Our hospital is absolutely huge, and many wards were empty, also many full of Covid patients. I didn’t need to go to ICU thankfully and was treated on an ordinary ward. Mum was admitted to A+E but I don’t know where in the hospital she was moved to as we weren’t allowed to visit, but I did receive a phone call from the A+E consultant a few hours after her admission telling me what her injury was, two small bleeds on the brain. She had had a CT scan to diagnose but I suspect it wouldn’t have been the same scanner used for Covid patients. In fact the hospital was totally divided into two parts, one used by Covid patients and then the other. I was admitted via a different entrance than usually used whereas Mum was admitted via the usual A+E entrance.
Going by my experience, and experiences reported by others, I think there were great differences in the way Covid was dealt with in different areas. When on a one week cruise to Norway last September, we met a lovely lady from Liverpool. Her 60 year old husband had died from Covid and also her 63 year old sister died from Covid. When she described the way her husband was treated, in and out of hospital, discharged whilst still very ill, very low SATS ignored, I was shocked and felt that I was very lucky to have been treated in an exemplary manner by my area. We even had a virtual Covid ward where the family was given a oxygen reading device (I forget the name) and oxygen levels were phoned in regularly, in my case every thirty minutes, which is what prompted my admittance to hospital.
Given your health issues Marydoll I think it’s disgraceful that you were denied a bed. There must have been one somewhere in your area, even if not your nearest hospital.

I didn't see the wards, which is the point I am making. I had outpatient appointments - not to see clinicians, but to get bloods taken and other tests - which were all in the outpatients wing of the hospital. They were all but empty, which gave the impression that the hospital was not busy, but the wards will have been overflowing, as per the drama. I know from friends who worked in the NHS throughout that they never stopped, but if I hadn't had their input I may well have believed that hospitals were empty.

The programme made the point in a heartbreaking fashion that people with non-Covid problems were refused care because doctors had to ration the beds. One was a mother of a young family who was allowed to die because she had MS, and another was a man of 72 who was fit (walked 3 miles a day) and needed treatment for bowel cancer. He was refused life-saving treatment on the grounds of his age, although he could have had many years ahead of him. Tragic.

Individual experiences will be very different.

I know we were both more than fortunate. Mr C had lost a worrying amount of weight. He was seen in our GP practice in the early days of the first lockdown. No cancer as feared but a serious heart condition was identified. An echocardiogram was organised in a private hospital a week later. The outcome telephoned to the surgery, the doctor called us to explain. An urgent referral to cardiology secured initial telephone advice, and further testing again in private hospitals. A clinic appointment followed as soon as they began again. Treatment and regular monitoring continued culminated in surgery in 2023 when it was thought wise to wait no longer.

A worrying spinal issue saw me assessed in 2021 . Immediate referral to spinal neurology and an appointment the next week in a very large and virtually empty outpatient department. Doors opened automatically I saw no one until called by the masked and gowned consultant. I’m currently waiting a re-referral appointment, anticipated wait unless partial paralysis is 8-9 months.

We do know how fortunate we both were, firstly to have the treatment we did and secondly not to contract covid. We both felt very safe in the various hospitals - but were nowhere near wards where I’m sure things were very different. Certainly we lost neighbours who needed emergency admission for existing health conditions, contracted covid and died. A hugely distressing time for their loved ones who were unable to be there.

The programme made the point in a heartbreaking fashion that people with non-Covid problems were refused care because doctors had to ration the beds. One was a mother of a young family who was allowed to die because she had MS, and another was a man of 72 who was fit (walked 3 miles a day) and needed treatment for bowel cancer. He was refused life-saving treatment on the grounds of his age, although he could have had many years ahead of him.

My 70yrs old RA consultant came out of retirement, because his replacement had been seconded to Covid ICU and could not take up his position.
He phoned me to tell me that if I caught Covid, I would not be admitted to hospital, because I would be taking up the bed of someone, who might have a fighting chance.
He then informed me that a DNR notice had been put on my file. It is still on file. Not exactly what you want to hear. I decided not to tell my family this news, because it would only distress them.
The same thing happened to my friend, who had a liver transplant, she is still fighting to get that notice removed.

I was admitted by ambulance to ITU for a kidney stone. All the beds were about 9 inches apart with plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling between them.. The staff were frantically running between patients but at all times were kind and courteous.. After about 9 hours of vomiting and pain I was eventually put on a morphine drip and admitted overnight to a ward, and then transferred next day to another hospital.. I cannot praise the staff enough and I did not thankfully contract covid..

Kim19

I persisted for half an hour and then gave up. Too raw for me and life is currently difficult enough without regurgitating this awfulness. I'll perhaps try in ten years if it's still around.

Me too, I had to turn it off.

Happygirl79

I've watched the full series and it was really good but shocking.
I'm surprised it's not all over the press like the post office scandal was?

I doubt the Tory press want to draw attention to it and the Covid public inquiry seems to dropped off the news agenda.

I have watched all 3 episodes and found it harrowing the stress the staff went through just to have the right protective equipment to safeguard themselves. It seemed that the advice from NHS England to hospital managers was made up due to the lack of provision for a pandemic. Put this alongside the hypocrisy and disregard for their own public health rules senior government should be held accountable.
I have been reading the reviews of the series in the papers and was upset reading comments that people had added. There was a lot of comments saying that covid was a lie,hospitals were putting covid on death certificates to support the government lies and shutdown. I know people sometimes just write anonymous online to cause controversy but I wonder how many of the population really think that it was a scam and that tv dramas are fictional ? Scary

GrannyGravy13

I watched an interview with someone connected to this drama on breakfast television this morning.

They said that people need to see

what it was like in hospitals during the pandemic

They obviously have very short memories, as we were subjected to a constant stream of TV presenters along with
their cameramen appearing from NHS Covid wards and or care/nursing homes on TV News bulletins every day…

I don't think we were 'subjected to a constant stream of TV presenters.....'. Well, not the reality anyway. We heard some reports of PPE shortages, but not everyone believed it ( a friend, with a contracting business said that as she could buy masks for her plumbers/electricians, she couldn't understand why the public believed the nonsense about NHS shortages). I do understand that this programme will be a difficult watch for many, but maybe a timely reminder of just how awful it was, just how badly governed we were is a good thing. In my opinion anyway, with sympathy for those who suffered losses during this dreadful time. I watched DH get loaded onto the back of an ambulance with severe breathing difficulties during this time, luckily I got him home again, but as he went.........

"The programme made the point in a heartbreaking fashion that people with non-Covid problems were refused care because doctors had to ration the beds. One was a mother of a young family who was allowed to die because she had MS, and another was a man of 72 who was fit (walked 3 miles a day) and needed treatment for bowel cancer. He was refused life-saving treatment on the grounds of his age, although he could have had many years ahead of him."

THIS IS HORRIFYING! How do we find out if these DNR notices are on our files - anyone?

I watched the first episode and to me it re emphasised the fact that the government were completely out of control, the clips of Johnson were embarrassing, and infections were way out of control by the time of the official lockdown. Many I know had voluntary curtailed activity at least two weeks before.

Have we learned the lessons from Covid? I don’t think so. I have recently been visiting a friend who is very ill on a chest ward, and on entering the ward was given a flimsy blue mask because I was told “we have Covid on the ward”. The next time I visited I took my own FP2 mask. The nurses were all wearing the ineffective blue, ill fitting basic masks, some with noses protruding!

I've seen slogans about Covid being a lie daubed on motorway bridges, and stickers on lampposts etc, but have never heard any defence of the accusation. Why do people think that the governments of the world united to trick the population into thinking that there was a pandemic? Why would they allow economies to be ruined, people to die and all the rest of it, and why would opposition parties in democracies go along with it?

I know that unscrupulous people made money out of it, just as profiteers benefit from war and natural disasters, but a global conspiracy? Why?

Doodledog

I've seen slogans about Covid being a lie daubed on motorway bridges, and stickers on lampposts etc, but have never heard any defence of the accusation. Why do people think that the governments of the world united to trick the population into thinking that there was a pandemic? Why would they allow economies to be ruined, people to die and all the rest of it, and why would opposition parties in democracies go along with it?

I know that unscrupulous people made money out of it, just as profiteers benefit from war and natural disasters, but a global conspiracy? Why?

I have pondered the same question, in fact, a long standing friendship was strained to breaking point by our differences in opinion on covid19. My friend, of many years, thought it all a hoax, and although she acknowledged the existence of covid19, she considered it over exaggerated and was forever posting photos of empty wards to 'prove' her claims. Whilst I am obviously happy to acknowledge we all have our own opinions on most things, it was tricky when she started questioning why I had 'fallen for it' and had my vaccine, when I was such an 'intelligent person'. When I messaged her to tell her that DH had been admitted as an emergency, she suggested his symptoms were due to the vaccine, not the disease itself. This terrible time had many impacts, and although this is nothing like the loss of family and friends, loss of access to medical treatment and other difficulties, it is still yet another covid19 casualty.

Marydoll

^The programme made the point in a heartbreaking fashion that people with non-Covid problems were refused care because doctors had to ration the beds. One was a mother of a young family who was allowed to die because she had MS, and another was a man of 72 who was fit (walked 3 miles a day) and needed treatment for bowel cancer. He was refused life-saving treatment on the grounds of his age, although he could have had many years ahead of him.^

My 70yrs old RA consultant came out of retirement, because his replacement had been seconded to Covid ICU and could not take up his position.
He phoned me to tell me that if I caught Covid, I would not be admitted to hospital, because I would be taking up the bed of someone, who might have a fighting chance.
He then informed me that a DNR notice had been put on my file. It is still on file. Not exactly what you want to hear. I decided not to tell my family this news, because it would only distress them.
The same thing happened to my friend, who had a liver transplant, she is still fighting to get that notice removed.

Sadly I believe that is still happening - DNR's are something that should be discussed with the patient and their families but aren't being. My friend's mum found out her dad had a DNR slapped on him on admission and that it said in his notes that it had been discussed with his family, which it certainly wasn't! He's still batting on in his 90's thankfully and I believe they settled out of court ...

I think that the drama which included BoJo and Hancock spouting rubbish was very well done. These hospital trusts lie to save face (They've lied to me in the past, and one is likely to end up in a criminal court after the death of my best friend's husband (they are trying to settle out of court, but she won't!) Again he was barely 60 and they slapped a DNR on him on admission without any discussion. They missed his sepsis which they had caused by burning him using some new light therapy treatment for a skin condition. At least this was post initial Covid and she was allowed in to see what was going on and was able to take notes - it was awful for them all.

The people shown outside the hospital weren't anti-vaxxers as there wasn't a vaccine at that point - they were trying to say that the hospitals were empty, which I believe some were other than the Covid wards. Certainly there was no elective surgery going on. I was admitted late March 2020 with a serious kidney infection, and was put on a Covid ward as I coughed on admission - it turned out the 5 of us in that bay were all free of Covid. Good job 4 out of 5 of us were able to see to ourselves, and if it weren't for me, the poor old lady that couldn't do anything for herself opposite wouldn't have been fed or given a drink for the 5 days I was there - the nurses would not come in unless they absolutely had to! It was truly awful.

I do think that one of the worst things was the edict to empty hospital beds, and care homes were mandated to take elderly patients with respiratory and other illnesses regardless of their Covid status. The hospitals were told to discharge them immediately by PHE/Hancock (who threw a protective ring around them by not allowing anyone in to see what was going on) It ripped through these homes and 26,541 of our elderly relatives died alone in just one month, April 2020. The care homes at that point also had insufficient PPE just like the hospitals. Senior care staff were asked to certify deaths as the GP's wouldn't come out (but were getting the fee to do it!) they were expected to do it over Facetime!

Having had 24 lots of surgery and being left disabled, I am now TERRIFIED of having to go in again - it will be a bowel strangulation, and I know that a DNR will be slapped on me. It would be cheaper for them to leave my bowel to perforate, die and give me sepsis than to operate. I no longer trust them as they are still following protocols laid down by those at the top sadly and any less on the waiting lists will help the government ....

Sadly I believe that is still happening - DNR's are something that should be discussed with the patient and their families but aren't being. My friend's mum found out her dad had a DNR slapped on him on admission and that it said in his notes that it had been discussed with his family, which it certainly wasn't!
Same thing happened with DH. I was very cross when I found out as it was neglect by the hospital which had landed him in ICU (not Covid-related) and they had no idea of what he was like before admittance. Another Consultant took it off his notes when I found out. Thankfully, the rest of the staff were far more caring and he recovered.

I had an outpatient appt for a gastroscopy recently and as part of the pre procedure interview I was shocked to be asked if I had an Advance Care Directive ie DNR (presumably if I collapsed during what is usually a routine procedure).
I replied that indeed I did want resuscitation if necessary, as I had walked into the dept. As a reasonably fit person!!

Callistemon21

^Sadly I believe that is still happening - DNR's are something that should be discussed with the patient and their families but aren't being. My friend's mum found out her dad had a DNR slapped on him on admission and that it said in his notes that it had been discussed with his family, which it certainly wasn't!^
Same thing happened with DH. I was very cross when I found out as it was neglect by the hospital which had landed him in ICU (not Covid-related) and they had no idea of what he was like before admittance. Another Consultant took it off his notes when I found out. Thankfully, the rest of the staff were far more caring and he recovered.

Wow, lucky you found out *Calistemon. Sadly my friends husband didn't get the chance.

It really is disgusting, and it now seems to be 'policy' from above ... everyone of a certain age (over 60 it seems, or disabled) please take note!

I'm quite happy with the fact that I may well see myself off when I have had enough, but I will not be allowing them to take that choice from me ... Sadly, despite me being a member of the medical profession earlier on in my life (probably still would have been if my health allowed it) I no longer trust them, and I know that whistleblowers like Dr Rachel Clarke (her diaries were the basis of the drama) in the NHS, especially those that actually care for their patients rather than policy, are being harassed out of the profession. This poor man is one of them.

twitter.com/i/status/1754470254867001550

Is it possible to lodge an anti-DNR note somewhere, in advance of being hospitalised? It is outrageous that they are being assigned to people without their consent.

To be fair, though - my mum is 88 and has had a few operations recently. There has been no suggestion that her age is being held against her in any way.

Thank you for letting us know .
I'll be watching it avidly .