So we're not supposed to go to the pub

[NozSpark]

Re the 5 day issue, I’ve been to collect our daughter from university. I took disposable gloves with me and wore them all the time I was in the student accommodation . Another dad saw me and did the same.

please help me with the rs cleaner !

I too picked my daughter up today, however I didn't feel that it would be worthwhile taking any extra precautions... her house have been very sensible and only going out shopping whilst both next doors have been partying while some of the hosts seem to have quite a cough!

My thoughts were that her house would be quite low risk, and if it was higher risk then she would have it and that after 2.5 hrs in the car together that I'd have it too

 

[apprentice87]

What is it you do A87? I didn't know you worked in hospitals

Yes, i do!! It is a large psychiatric hospital! Simply wonderful place it is too. Technically i work for "facilities" which in practice means i do as i like!!

I can be delivering stuff about, repairing things, on the wards helping patients, alsorts and everything..

Any repairs and stuff are supposed to go through works and estates, but it is horrendously expensive, terribly slow and the resultant job ****, so i generally get asked and do it myself. Officially, this would not go down very well, but unofficially it goes down great with the ward managers who will ask me first..

Some of the stuff i do you would roll about laughing, as everyone tries to "pull in the same direction" and help the NHS and the hospital and save money, and so when i do stuff that wants doing on my own initiative, everyone obviously knows what happened, but officially will have to pretend they know nothing.. You could not make it up..

My favorite thing is on the wards though. It is interesting to say the least as you would expect on a locked psychiatric ward!

You quickly learn NEVER to judge by appearances, believe me on that one.. Innocuous looking people that one second can be very helpful and polite, can also be very, and instantly violent, but the main thing to watch out, for especially being a bloke when you are on a "mixed" ward, is that there are those that will make allegations about staff. Does not matter how barmy; "the secretary held me at gunpoint" the NHS being the NHS it will be investigated..

Take it from me; The first time you come face to face with someone, that is, to put it bluntly insane, it chills you to the bone.. it is the look in their eyes...

You get back what you give out though, so you treat people with respect, and they respect you back. Psychotic people though, at least some of them, are potentially VERY dangerous.. They have lost all touch with reality and will react accordingly.. You cannot reason with them either as they hold unshakeable beliefs..

A few months ago i spoke to a patient for several hours whom, although plainly psychotic, was outwardly friendly, very intelligent and articulate, and it was very interesting to hear his opinions.. All through it though there was this undercurrent of extreme violence..

I cannot tell you the precise function of the wards or the nature of the "service users" as that would be wrong, but locked wards are there for a reason..

I have a "swipe" card so that i can go in and out of the wards and other places. You have to be VERY careful though, as patients sometimes will try to follow you out, or "make a break" for the door, so you check first that there is nobody anywhere near the door, let yourself in or out and pull the door and hold it till it locks..

MUCH more commonly, people try to walk onto the ward or into the building. Unless you recognise them as a member of staff they go nowhere!!  It is a bit embarrassing having to challenge people as to who they are, and tell them that you are not letting them in as you walk through the door yourself, but too bad. You just tell them to speak to the ward staff via the intercom and lock them out..

Even if it is a patient that you recognise, you still will not let them enter. You enter the ward yourself, consult the staff, and if they give the go ahead, let them in. Reason for checking like this is that unbeknown to you. they might have been discharged an hour before and have come back to attack staff.. [it happens]

I challenge people that are wandering about inside too, Some get funny, but too bad. Genuine ones will just produce their badge and are GLAD they are challenged as it keeps everyone safe.. I could go on and on about security..

All in all, a wonderful place though and helping patients is so rewarding i cannot tell you.. As i said, i cannot write about why people are there, but they can be there for a very long time, and MOST of them are very lonely and have NOTHING.. A few scraps in black bags and that is their lot ..

I really care about the patients.. Being in a position where i am able to do something to improve things for them and make them smile is hugely rewarding.. I love it..

john..

 

[Phoenix]

Sounds interesting, and I can relate to some stuff you say. We have a similar block at the local hospital and we sometimes get callouts there (normally out of hours when it seems the on site works departmentt is not present*), I recall one incident where a patient told me he was glad I was not changing a light for an LED one (I was moving it out the way of water coming through the ceiling) because they cause him to be abducted by aliens. A was recognised by someone who worked on the ward who I'd gone to school with, but neither of us really had time to stop and chat. A colleague was seen by a patient who seemed to be an ex-sparks, who had worked alongside some of our guys years ago, he wanted letting out and was well carrotted off that my colleague quite understandably refused. A few days later there was an annoymous complaint made that colleague had been seen driving his van with phone in one hand, fag in the other....

We also look after care homes where they are looked after in the community**, its not unusual to be there replacing switches because they have pucnhed them etc, most arn't voilent though, at least to people

*Thats awkward a lot of the time, staff are expecting someone to turn up who has the keys to the cupboards that contain disboards, we arn't works, so we don't, so normally a wild goose chase starts to try and track down a key...

**A real mix, you get some who are basically mentally todlers in an adults body, to those who just seem a little strange or eccentric and you start to wonder if they should really be there, certainly 40 years ago they wouldn't have been

 

[Tony S]

Just be glad you are not in the hospital.. Trust me on that one.. just came from work a few seconds ago, 9-30pm....

john...

I didn’t envy the registrar’s task, draining 11kg of infected abdominal fluid out of me. I’ve got to go back for round two next month.

At the end of the day I’ve no option other than attend hospital.

 

[Murdoch]

the misses got home from her night shift with the news she can go shopping in Sainsburys (as a key worker) at 7.30 in the morning - we aren't stock piling, nor will we but getting a few things we have run out of would be handy

 

[apprentice87]

(I was moving it out the way of water coming through the ceiling)

Ah, you have met works and estates then??!!!

Same here, water coming through ceiling into a 6 foot strip light as there is a crack in the felt above. You would imagine they would fix the roof, but no, they take the light fitting down and fit a junction box instead, and put a bucket underneath. Has been there for about five years and will stay there until such time i go up on the roof and sort it myself [been meaning to for ages]

Years ago we had; 2 fitters, 2 plumbers, 2 electricians, the stokers etc [4 lancashire boilers] the gardeners, the builders, the carpenters, everything, so say about 25 proper tradesmen.

Now you have about the same number of office bods in works and estates organising outside people to come along and do a **** job.. I could go on and on about they way things are organised, it is done so as each department is like a self contained business, all ready to be sold off. So say you want a shelf removing, works and estates come and have a look, give you a price, you fill in a job request and a "cost code" [so they know who to bill] and it gets done months later..

Hmm, dealing with patients.... Got to be VERY awkward for anyone that is not used to this sort of thing.. as you say, some of the stuff they come out with is strange to say the least, stuff you could not even dream up.. Please do not imagine that you will be "safe" when you are on the ward, as. "it it obvious that the "crazy" ones will be locked up" Errm, no..

Here we have what might be described as a very "unsettled" ward... The staff are in the main, young girls, because they have a very high staff turnover there [wonder why..] and junior staff are cheaper to employ..

On top of that there are a large number of patients, many of whom are an unknown quantity, and there might only be 4 or 5 young girls expected to deal with anything that may ensue. They simply have not got the time to give each patient the errm, "attention" they need, hence, all staff carry panic buttons, and there is a central system when they press a button and all spare staff from all the other wards will run to assist. [in theory] Truth of the matter is, at night, staff are scared to go from one ward to another in case of intruders in the building...

Staff are attacked all the time.. i got in trouble once for going to the aid of the staff and disarming a bloke that was slashing about with a pool cue [he was not on the attack, but trying to defend himself lest HE be attacked], because i had not been on a PMVA course [prevention and management of violence and aggression]

This is basically very gentle techniques to "escape" if someone grabs you leaving them free to attack you again. [Needless to say, kung fu or ju-jitsu wrist twists and arm control or judo throws are right out the window!!]

Obviously they can and do restrain patients, but it is all nice gentle stuff, well gentle as they can be.. There are apparently no "pain compliance" techniques allowed..

i was told that the basic reason i got in trouble for getting involved, is that if i restrained someone, and the patient gets, or claims to be hurt as a result, that the NHS will get sued, as they cannot show that i have been trained in what amounts to "do gooder" techniques..

I WAS told though, that if i were to be there when a member of staff is actually in the process of being assaulted, then, yes, in that case, i CAN intervene..

You will also have patients that are on 2:1 for allegations. This means that ANY contact with them has to be by two members of staff as they have a history of making allegations against staff.. It is generally not because they are "malicious" but because their grip on reality is not what it might be.. Sort of like it is the illness and not the patient speaking if you get me..

Make sure you are never alone and keep all your tools in a tool box, use the tool and put it back. Never take your eyes off the box..

20 years ago they were thinking of closing the hospital. Now, it is booming.. the demand is huge, they just spent over a million extending a ward.. Give it another 20 years the place will be booming again..

The problem is, years ago the place was filled with "bona fide" ill people, ones that could not help being ill and were grateful for the help. Now, it is mostly all drug related..

It is a very sad thing to see though.. Young men in their prime, that should have jobs and a family, and a car and a home, who have basically made themselves psychotic and will spend most if not all of their lives in a locked ward..

When some of the "stable" ones are given unaccompanied leave [so they can go off for a bit on their own for a few hours] what happens?? They often come back on drugs.. and do not get to leave the ward again for a very long time. Next time though, exactly the same thing will happen again, they do not want to be helped..

Still, it is very rewarding what i do and an honour to be part of the NHS.. [and i was told this morning that i can go to various shops with my NHS badge and buy lots of bog rolls!!]

john...

 

[apprentice87]

the misses got home from her night shift with the news she can go shopping in Sainsburys (as a key worker) at 7.30 in the morning - we aren't stock piling, nor will we but getting a few things we have run out of would be handy

I was just told about this, this morning.. what do i do?? Just turn up with my NHS badge??

john..

 

[Murdoch]

I was just told about this, this morning.. what do i do?? Just turn up with my NHS badge??

john..

Yes - that's what she told me 

 

[apprentice87]

Hi Murdoch,

That is worth knowing.. All this panic buying is taking the piss.. Since we are told to isolate for 7/14 days.. [I would say that this is an absolute minimum] why would you want an 18month supply of bog rolls??

john..

 

[Phoenix]

I know someone who was hired out to the NHS works team on preventative maintenance (The whole thing was under the heading of "Saving the NHS Money") , now it might sound good in practice, but they'd go to a site with a list of checks and each one would have a time against it, and you'd have things like "Check auto door functional" (well it opens when you walk upto it). "Check office panel heater" (If it wasn't working, the staff would log a ticket). ALong with jobs for tubes out etc, now the time allocated wasn't long enough to do the job, if you considered getting working at height permits etc, so the jobs would have to be collected up until there were multiple so there was time to cover the needless paperwork etc. They'd have to have to have a list of jobs done, which added upto the hours they were contracted for the week etc.

The Lads doing it have no job satsifaction either, they are just bulbling through from one mind numbing task to the next, waiting for the end of the day

Its just too many pen pushers trying to think of ways to manage stuff to the Nth degree, but because they have no idea how its working in practice, they are making it horribly inefficient. Parts of it then get outsourced in order to lower costs, but then they find to get the same standards and response rates its actually going to cost them more

I'm not not normally in favour of nationalisation, but in some things its better as long as its competantly run, there should be a team as you say there was in days gone by, run by someone who has worked in maintance on the site for most of their working life, and know its like the back of their hand(maybe even two of them, one electrical/mech sevrcies, the other building/structure), each of the trades should have a senior chap who is hands on most of the time but able to help with pproblems, provide additional training to those below, etc. Probbably an apprentice for each trade too. Tasks under a reasonable level shouldn't be individually billed, but just come out of a fund for reasonable hospital maintenance, it is a the job of the older chap in charge to keep a reasonble eye on what folk are doing and make sure that no one is taking the pee, but not logging every hour. There needs to be a willingness to cross over in areas of responsibilies. No electrical jobs needing to be done urgently? But a shelf has collapsed and the joiners are busy, the sparky shouldn't have a problem putting it back up, afterall, he gets the same pay packet whether he is fault finding s BMS panel or fixing the shelf

I wouldn't be supprised if the NHS wasn't actually underfounded, its just they waste a lot of it through not being organised properly and paying those who organise it in a poor manner, huge pay packets.

Problems abound in eduction too most schools are accademys now, know most folk know how there are a lot of poor EICRS out there, how its the management of a secondary school suppsoed to procure a decent EICR? I've seen many laughable examples. at least twenty years ago there is chance of the resulting document landing on the desk of the electrical clerk of works from the local authority, these days its only seen by the 'site manager' who doesn't understand it.

 

[kerching]

My local hospital

loads of upgrading going on, new wards BFO reception area that is most impressive but the space would have been better used as wards. M&S food store, WH Smith's , Costa all in there

a couple,of Xmases ago,I was there on chemo.......in for about 5 hours

on arrival,there was an Xmas tree laid on reception floor. Three dumpy  women from facilities with Hi Viz, hard hats, goggles and hi heel safety shoes!...looked like the three little pigs. 4 blokes from local garden centre, scissor lift, and about 5 other people.  Went for my treatment, 5 hours later nothing had changed apart from the 3 little pigs now had clipboards!

went there on another occasion and in the reception foyer there was a fecking massive TeePee ️ for people to go into for a quiet space!

just saying 

 

[Evans Electric]

the misses got home from her night shift with the news she can go shopping in Sainsburys (as a key worker) at 7.30 in the morning - we aren't stock piling, nor will we but getting a few things we have run out of would be handy

My neighbour is a  Nursing  Sister ,decided to take advantage of the Tesco offer to NHS workers , early morning .  

She said there was a massive queue  snaking back  almost off the retail park  ....U turned  & came back .  

 

[Evans Electric]

We did a ward refurb at a large psychiatric  facility attached to one of the hospitals  ,  ancient Victorian building  , long corridor with wards off .  We accessed from the other end  via fire escape   but I needed to get to the board in the main corridor .   (Sorry its going on a bit)    

Boards are old & locked  , I get a key from Estate Sparks who are very unhelpful for reasons unknown , but must give it straight back !!!     " I need it for about an hour " I say .  Need to identify and disconnect all feeds into the ward .   Killing the main supply to the board ,  VIR  single 16mm  I needed to cut them in the rammed trunking  & pull out of the board , did the live  then must have traced the  neutral & picked up another one , cut it , the ward next door went off   ( no life support etc in here)  Took me an hour to find a crimp lug , effect an emergency repair  &  restore power .  

As I'm locking the box  on my steps , a well spoken guy in a suit appears .  Must be from Estates.

He says :

"Have you sorted the power loss" ?

"Yes  it was  very difficult to trace the cable in that trunking , sorry about that ?  

"Thats fine , I don't need to mobilise Estates then ?"  

"No all sorted" 

Long pause ...then ...

" Gissa job mate !    Goo on gissus a job ..I could do that "    In a Scouse accent .  

Actually a patient .  

Theres another story  from that job where the Estates supervisor tried to drop me /us in the brown stuff  when we had a jointing crew in ...by indicating the wrong cable to cut & extend .   Goes on a bit though .  

 

[apprentice87]

I'm not not normally in favour of nationalisation, but in some things its better as long as its competantly run, there should be a team as you say there was in days gone by, run by someone who has worked in maintance on the site for most of their working life, and know its like the back of their hand(maybe even two of them, one electrical/mech sevrcies, the other building/structure), each of the trades should have a senior chap who is hands on most of the time but able to help with pproblems, provide additional training to those below, etc. Probbably an apprentice for each trade too. Tasks under a reasonable level shouldn't be individually billed, but just come out of a fund for reasonable hospital maintenance, it is a the job of the older chap in charge to keep a reasonble eye on what folk are doing and make sure that no one is taking the pee, but not logging every hour. There needs to be a willingness to cross over in areas of responsibilies. No electrical jobs needing to be done urgently? But a shelf has collapsed and the joiners are busy, the sparky shouldn't have a problem putting it back up, afterall, he gets the same pay packet whether he is fault finding s BMS panel or fixing the shelf

Exactly what we had years ago.. Phone would ring and off we would go to sort whatever it was. When there was nothing to do, as in nobody had telephoned from the wards wanting something, we did things on our own initiative and went round looking for things to do. I used to end up helping the plumbers rebuilding Swirco steam traps aned i would change packings on the valves and blowdown cock on the boiler gauge glasses and that sort of thing.. I have a photo but i can never get them to come up on here..

john..

 

[Murdoch]

If anyone who is reading this is short of toilet rolls, look no further than a famous online retailer ...... but they will be more expensive than your local supermarket 

 

[Evans Electric]

I have a photo but i can never get them to come up on here..

Three clicks   Apprentii  .   Should work.

1)  Click on  " Choose files"       at the bottom of the box you are typing in .

2)   Click to open the  file with your photo in .

3)    Click on the photo .

Theres my mate Oscar lying in wait  in three clicks .   

 

[apprentice87]

It tells me the file is too big.. How do i make it smaller??

john..

 

[Andy™]

i use this http://www.bricelam.net/ImageResizer/

 

[Murdoch]

I normally open the file in "paint" and using the resize function, reduce it that way. You can also check the file size using paint too

Hope this helps

 

[apprentice87]

I tried it, but when i made it small enough to send, it was only about an inch square, so that would not be much good!!

john..