COVID is placing unbearable pressures on the NHS

Have finished another day at work.  I have to say, I am shocked at how bad things are for the ambulance service.  As people know, restrictions have been relaxed when it comes to COVID and the numbers have shot up.  Last week, I dealt with a person who had central chest pain waking them up at night.  They did the right thing and called 999.  The ambulance did not arrive.  No fault of the ambulance staff or the control centre, but they did not have enough ambulances to deal with the need.  So she came to see me the morning afterwards.  Her ECG indicated that she may have had a heart attack that night and she had to be sent into hospital.  Today, I saw someone who had suspected sepsis, this ambulance taking hours to arrive, again, just because they are overwhelmed with demand.  Another patient has marked immunosuppression and when they suspected that they had COVID, they did the right thing and rang the number given to them to obtain the PCR test that is needed so that they can get a diagnosis of COVID if they have it, so that they can get the antiviral medications that may save their life.  The line was so busy that she was cut off after hanging on it for an hour.  And this happened to her more than once.  There was nothing I could do for her other than tell her to keep trying.  And on top of that, thanks to the way the government are treating NHS staff, more are leaving again.

The government can try to lie about the effects of COVID on the NHS, just as they lied about obeying COVID restrictions when they had their numerous parties.  Parties that took place when the Queen obeyed restrictions and sat alone in the funeral of her husband.  But patients are suffering and learning to live with COVID means that people are going to die because the government have decided not to flatten the curve and other parts of the NHS are now overwhelmed.

I mean, how hard is it to wear a mask?

Mothers Day 2022

think that my wife enjoyed Mothers Day today.  She got a locket from the children which named her as the favourite parent (I still am adamant that I am their favourite parent).  Later, we went out to a meal, back at The Three Horseshoes.  Sadly it was not as good as it had been before, but it was still a pleasant day out.

Mothers day(before) 2022

Today, we went to see our mothers.  By this, I mean my mother and my mother-in-law.  My mother had been to a book event, which reminds me, I need to read her book.  My daughter has set herself a target to do so in the upcoming holidays.  So we went to the parents of my wife first.  Leia as soon as she got in ran in and jumped up onto the sofa and my father-in-law which made the children laugh.  

After spending some time there and having lunch, we went to see my mother herself once she had got back.  I got to see my youngest brother as well, but there are times I think that he prefers to see Leia more than the rest of us!

Modern Persuasion

It is not often that my wife and I will chose to stop watching a film, but we did.  Apparently based on Persuasion by Jane Austen, my wife thought that this would be a good film to watch because Alicia Witt was in it.  We all pick bad films and it may be that this film would have got better after we decided to stop watching it, but I doubt it.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

We got a good result yesterday which was needed after our defeat to Liverpool. I was dreading this game as it was so close to our defeat to Liverpool as well as this being an away game involving travel to the opposition. But we did well and our destiny in finishing in the top four is in our own hands. I am hoping that we get to finish in the top four, it will be nice to be playing in the European Cup again.

Blackmail

Today was date night again. My wife and I went to watch Blackmail at the Mercury Theatre. It is great having a theatre so close to us, but like with the Arts Centre, we have not made as much use of it as we could like. Hopefully, this is to change and watching this reminded us of the ease that we can do this.  It is strange seeing so many people not wearing masks indoors, the staff there, my wife and I and a few others were wearing them, not most were not.  And that applied to some friends that we saw, one of whom I was surprised as her job is working for a healthcare provider. 

 

It was an interesting plot with an interesting question to answer at the end. I was reminded of a quote by Dr Claire Maitland about I would worry how little things affect me rather than how much, as I felt that the ending of the play involved the least worst option.  The views of my wife on the play were in essence the same as one of the reviews.  I am sure that we will be returning to watch other things here.

My daughter has spent the day revising and I watched the first episode of Friends with my son.  I miss watching Buffy with him, which I much prefer to this.  I have suggested he watches Episodes with me, but he has declined for now.  It is interesting watching the first episode, as I had never watched it before.  Now I am older, I have realised just how much I hate the character of Rachel Green.  And how I prefer Frasier.  And Cougar Town.  I do feel sorry for Monica Gellar who has been loved and left by an arsehole in this episode.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs Twilight

So, I decided to watch the Twilight film series.  And I hated it.  Years ago, my wife and I had watched the second film and she hated it then.  I did not hate it then, and if you take Bella Swan out of the first two films, they are bearable, but as the series goes on, the films get worse.  So bad in fact that I think that they are worse than what I remember of the sequels to Blade.  

Twilight has to be compared to Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which was so much better, and portrays a better message with Buffy Summers being a woman with many admirable qualities and Bella Swan being one of the most if not the most pathetic main character I have seen for a long time. I understand that there is a female attraction to the films, just as there is with 50 shades, but I do just do not understand the need to be dominated, or from a male perspective, to dominate.

Blade, as a film, is possibly the best Vampire film I have ever watched, Twilight does not even come close to it.