Public healthcare workers, who served onsite in a clinical Covid-19 exposed env. to receive 1k euro

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118500844#Comment_118500844

I'de love to work for the HSE. I'm currently sitting on 2 panels one I've been on for over a year and it's for the job I am currently doing as an agency worker.

We were all originally taken on during the pandemic and agency was the only way to fast track us in. None of us wanted to be with an agency but we had to if we wanted the work.

BENDYBINN

Teachers who have been looking after our young people during this crisis must also be considered for this bonus.One cannot put a price on mental health and the extra work done by teachers.

Strumms

I think that if the government have 100 million plus sitting somewhere which they would like to use to ‘invest’ in health… invest it in a manner that will help both the public and staff, providing access to rehabilitative services and support to healthcare staff in their day to day execution of their duties…

Not the wisest decision of the use of 100 million plus of public money, just cutting pat on the back thank you cheques…..it’s a hell of an expensive thank you… or if one was being cynical, a hell of an expensive altruistic political manoeuvre.

im sure plenty on the front line might disagree which is understandable, their families too…but there are still people this week having heart attacks, brain haemorrhages, strokes, cancer diagnosis’s etc… if they had a more attainable pathway to wellness and recovery by virtue of rehabilitative beds, treatments, equipment and on hand experts…proven pathways of a more tangible and effective way to recover and long term be less of a relapse / re admittance candidate to our hospitals and services….

probably not a popular view with many of those on or families of those on the front line but there you go.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502406#Comment_118502406

We covered this and I have since edited.

I was being lied to.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118501408#Comment_118501408

I think the confusion regarding agency staff pay may be connected with their cost to the HSE. In simple terms they cost more when you include the agency commission of 8%? and VAT etc. That doesn't mean the agency staff are getting better paid.

It must also be remembered that agency staff can pick and choose where and when they work. Many 'ran away' during the first few weeks of Covid 19 or would arrive for duty but turn on their heel when informed that they were being assigned to a Covid positive area.

Deagol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502431#Comment_118502431

I assume that's being said tongue in cheek... I hope to hell it was...

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502431#Comment_118502431

Nope sorry don't agree at all.

Not Frontline workers in any shape or form.

They only way they will get it is in a case of who's union shouts louder ..if they do..it would be entirely undeserved

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502407#Comment_118502407

Well you don't always get in overnight.

It is like being on a panel in CS it can take well over a year before you get offered a job out of it.

iamwhoiam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502431#Comment_118502431

Not quite the same as being 12 hours in PPE , a mask digging into your cheeks and rubbing the back of your ears . Cleaning all sorts of bodily fluids including phlegm , sweat, saliva etc . Making phone calls to loved ones to explain why they still cant come see their dieing wife or mother or son . Seeing the fear in the faces as you told them they needed ICU and holding thier hands so they didnt die alone . Hearing the zip sound as you put them in a body bag .

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502227#Comment_118502227

Nevermind.

Can't seem to delete?!

P2C

A group of staff who are non clinical and who have been flat out since day one are the original public health staff. In the early days working 12-14 hr days. Covid work on top of their normal work. They technically won’t get the bonus as not exposed to covid in a clinical setting. I was redeployed to them for 18 months and to be honest I felt really sorry for them when I got sent back to my normal role as they got limited breaks and was pretty intense work. I have met a few of them since and they are burnt out.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502431#Comment_118502431

Haha. Good one!

Yonce

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502431#Comment_118502431

The same teachers who taught via online?

tommybrees

After thinking about it, seems to be another thing the government has thrown at us to divide the people even more.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502506#Comment_118502506

Ya I know but I was responding to a post saying that if we want to be public sector we should just join as if it's that easy. The insinuation was that we are all in agencies by choice for the extra money (which I don't get)

Dempo1

A bit of a dogs dinner, Government have made of this announcement. Back after 5 weeks of R&R, took less than a few hours to create division and chaos, what were they thinking 🤔, its just extraordinary, especially give the money it spends on spin and PR, is there anything they can get Right 🙄

This is nothing short of populist nonsense and it's intriguing its been led by Leo, the Taoiseach, nowhere to be seen all day, not even in attendance at the press conference after the cabinet meeting.

I absolutely belive a reward justified to those actually caring directly for patients to include paramedic, ambulance staff etc, I don't get people doing swab testing being included .

This idea had practically disappeared of the radar, why was it decided upon all a sudden , just seems very very odd and if one thing has been achieved, it's division, watch the union reactions for other public sector workers, its going to be ugly.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502874#Comment_118502874

It sometimes works the other way around. I've had some fantastic regular agency workers who I encouraged to apply for permanent and pensionable posts but they are not interested.

I totally agree with you regarding the recruitment process. It can often take over a year from the interview stage to getting feet on the ground whereas in the private sector it can be done in a matter of days.

KilOit

I'm admin in a hospital, don't care if I get it or not but the cheek of some in here thinking they deserve it, I've been in every single day since the beginning when no one knew how to deal with it. the whole country was pretty much at home in their pajamas watching Netflix

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118501649#Comment_118501649

Public sector frontline workers are ambiguous really

iamwhoiam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503091#Comment_118503091

The whole country ? You are not the only one who went to work you know

Retail workers , truck drivers , prison officers , care workers , bin collectors , postmen , tesco delivery drivers ,

And many worked at home with small children and babies and kept the country going .

I dont any of them deserve it either but very unfair to dismiss them as doing anything less important than your job

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502081#Comment_118502081

There is no definition of "front line" worker. It's a made up term used by unions.

At least essential workers was defined by govt at the start of the pandemic.

This payment will undoubtedly go to some that didn't deserve it and miss some that did. For that reason, I'm amazed that govt opted for it.

KilOit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503148#Comment_118503148

I'm sorry did these people go to work in a building that was bringing in sick people with a virus that was easily spread with no cure?

iamwhoiam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503168#Comment_118503168

Did I say they were . But they wernt at home in their pyjamas watching Netflix either .

KilOit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503172#Comment_118503172

I think your missing the point of this 1k to healthcare workers

iamwhoiam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503184#Comment_118503184

Have you read my posts at all ? I am fully in favour of frontline staff in clinical settings getting the bonus and have been very vocal in supporting that

But it still doesn’t mean you can be dismissive of others who were certainly not at home watching Netflix as you said the whole country was

The whole country certainly was not .

Whether you deserve or not or nurses or doctors deserve it is not the issue in my post . The issue was that you said the rest of the country was at home watching Netflix . They absolutely were not because the supply chain to your job and the hospitals also kept going as did the food supply and essential services

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502431#Comment_118502431

One can. I’m sure your union will inform the Government of that price when you guys next negotiate/threaten strike action.

You can hardly compare the risk of infection experienced by teachers with that experienced by healthcare staff treating sick patients.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503152#Comment_118503152

Clarification has been given as to who qualifies for the payment, it is those who worked in areas of high risk of infection in the public health care system. KaneToad, if you worked there, you deserve the payment, if you didn’t, you don’t.

KilOit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503202#Comment_118503202

I said "pretty much" if I'd guess a figure I'd say in the region of 80-90% were at home during the bad days

McDermotX

Those working directly with Covid patients, suspected patients or in close quarters.......No problem chucking a couple quid their way, though by default, I think the idea of monetary appreciation like that is unnecessary, but what's done is done.

That rules out a vast amount of nominal 'healthcare' workers BTW. There's a 'frontline' and a real frontline

bertiebomber

Very divisive move how can they just choose nurses and porters in the hospitals? what about postmen who called on the elderly and checked on them and all the girls in the supermarkets there are soo mnay people who did a lot during the last 22 months. The grocery delivery men the chemists anywhere that stayed open the animal feed merchants anyone who had to deal with the public and risk getting covid.