TV crews on Covid wards - is it OK

Bloody ghouls, should be sent home and should NEVER have been assessed as “essential workers”

I don’t understand how they can film in ICU without permission of the patients even though their faces are blurred out. Very few if any patients requiring IC would be capable of giving consent considering their level of consciousness. How must their next of kin feel at home desperate to visit and can’t but a film crew are allowed to enter.

I agree, I cant understand why reporters HAVE to be there in person. It's the same when there is an announcement from somewhere anywhere in the world, a reporter is outside talking., why?? No extra news is gleaned..

Er..... why would you be watching it then?
It is intrusive and not necessary to see night after night.

So: switch channel. Problem solved!!

No, that is not the answer.

We can turn off, switch over but the fact remains it is still happening.

The debate is whether it should be happening or not, not whether or not we want to watch it.

I think they are showing these sick patients to try to convince these stupid individuals what will happen to them if they continue to break the rules. Some are still of the opinion they are invincible

You agree that it is intrusive and not necessary to see night after nighr.

So do you agree or disagree that filming should take place in ICU?

Good point, jangeo44

I agree, but filming should be limited. Its very upsetting to people who have relatives being treated when you consider they cannot visit their loved ones. Funeral attendance is also limited. So a double blow.

I watched a very distressing tv interview with a man whose wife had apparently been show quite clearly on a tv ward visit. He was distraught, because he wasn’t allowed in, yet the tv crew was.

I just think we should use the off button. Perhaps it isn’t the answer but it’s effective. I watch the 10 o’clock news and that’s it. The press briefing is a joke so no point watching that.

It's a shame that they can't just donate it. Instead of going in and fuelling people's anxiety.

I think it’s disgusting that they think it’s okay wasting PPEs and then replacing them, they shouldn’t have any in the first place. At this time when they are in such short supply, I don’t think anyone except health staff and other essential workers who need them should be allowed to buy them.

Patients faces are always blocked out. I think they replace any PPE that they use. This has to be seen....It makes us understand why we are doing this....

The reporters provide their own PPE. I think we need to see how terribly ill some people are with this virus. Some people are not taking it seriously enough. It is very worrying to see how badly it affects some people and we have lost some excellent NHS staff. Terrible times.

I thought the issue with PPE was not the cost, but the availability. Donating something from a very small pool isn’t helping- it is still using up that pool.

Similarly, if the reporters are bringing their own PPE, we need to know where they are getting it, so that the NHS procurement people can do the same.

I agree. I think it is unnecessary. Once maybe so we all get the picture - but endlessly day in day out - I don't think so.

But it is the same with so many news reports - they send someone to stand outside somewhere, when they could just as easily done so with a picture of the place behind them. Waste of resources.

I think it's brill that they're allowed in, the doubters, cynics and ignorant need to see exactly what it's like!! It's not like they're there 24/7 and using copious amounts of PPE. It should be show over and over, at regular intervals.

The patients have no say in the matter.

Before I watched the news items from an ITU I had no idea how bad it could be. At that time, admittedly a couple of weeks ago, it seemed you either had a mild case or a week or so of bad symptoms then recovered.

Even though I consider myself well informed on a lot of things, actually seeing inside an ITU was an eye opener for me and I hope for a lot of other people.

Hetty58...
always gives a no nonsense view. This is real life and we need to know that as many people as possible see and hear about it. No good pretending you know about it from a 5 minute news snippet that you switch off because it upsets you to see ill patients or read the numbers.
Far too many people stick their collective heads in the sand or ignore rules that, if broken, could impact the lives of you or your family .
I agree with every word Hetty58 wote and possibly most of her posts.
The truth may be bitter. Better that than living in la-la land.

The thing is, we now know what it's like to be in the intensive care units, so we don't need tv crews to go in there repeatedly. We haven't got such short memories that we need to be shown it night after night. I'm also exasperated by the stories of people that have died, which we've seen before. Yes, it's tragic that so many people have died, but it must be very hard for families and friends of these people to not be able to watch tv without having their loved ones stories and pictures thrown up again and again. I lost my daughter two years ago and if I see her picture unexpectedly appear on social media, it always gives me a jolt and upsets me. This sort of media attention is cruel and unnecessary after the first day or two.

at this point in time, i think we can do without ALL of the journalists! opinions, suppositions, predictions, inane 'gotcha' questions. just the facts, please. no we do not need to see inside hospital wards. i will take the medical professionals' words for it. rant over.

The people who need to get the message will not be the people who are watching this type of programme, nor the news.

Lost? Passed? The word is 'died'.
Why is it so difficult to use the correct word? Does using a euphemism negate the reality?