NHS Hospitals Bring Back Mask Mandates
NHS hospitals are telling patients, visitors and staff to wear face masks due to rising levels of winter bugs and low vaccine take-up, despite the lack of good evidence that they work. The Telegraph has more.
An early flu season has piled pressure on the health service, with the number of patients in hospital with influenza more than tripling in two weeks.
The rate of hospitalisations from flu increased from 1.8 per 100,000 toward the end of November to 5.53 in the week ending December 8th, data from the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show.
Combined with high rates of Covid, vomiting-bug norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children, some NHS hospitals have ushered in a return to face masks.
Hospitals across Lincolnshire introduced mandatory face masks for patients and visitors across some areas on Friday.
The United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “The additional infection prevention and control measure is being re-introduced in some high-risk areas due to an increase in respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, Influenza A and RSV in the county’s hospitals and community settings.”
The trust said all visitors would be asked to wear “a hospital-provided type II R surgical face mask when visiting our wards and departments” including in A&Es, urgent treatment centres and in cancer and paediatric units.
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust warned that its A&E was “extremely busy” and urged parents to “only attend if your child is seriously unwell”.
“We are seeing a high number of patients with flu currently,” it added. “If you do need to attend our emergency department with your child, please do wear a face mask to protect yourself, other families and our teams caring for patients.”
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust has said it was “encouraging visitors to wear masks when entering, especially patients entering the emergency department”.
It said it was to provide protection “from increasing numbers of COVID-19, flu, RSV, and norovirus cases in our hospital” and reminded the public to wash their hands regularly with soap, warning that “alcohol hand gels do not kill norovirus”.
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust also warned that visitors “may be asked to wear a mask if you are able to”.
In the Humber and Yorkshire, staff are being told to wear face masks.
The Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has asked staff to wear the coverings in all patient-facing areas in response to a “low uptake of the flu vaccine” in the local area.
Amanda Stanford, group Chief Nurse, said it was because of rising cases of the virus over the last fortnight and that “all measures will be kept under constant review by our senior nursing and infection control teams”.
Humber Health Partnership told staff: “It is now mandatory for all staff, clinical and non-clinical, in all patient-facing areas to wear face masks because of the increase in cases of flu.”
Worth reading in full.
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I’ll get my “I am Exempt from Wearing a Face Covering” lanyard out.
It’s interesting, though, that face masks – things that don’t work – are still presented as “things that do work”. In other words “they” are still trying deliberately to deceive us.
me too
I have never worn a mask. I certainly won’t be starting now.
Aren’t medical staff supposed to understand science?
Foxtrot Oscar to the lot of them.
Same. If people are that stupid, I won’t play along. If they ask me why don’t I sport a face anus wrap my reply is usually: 1. My IQ is above 75 and 2. I am not ugly.
Exactly.
brilliant response
Who says you’re not ugly?
Only joking!😂
Or simply say “I’m not a sheep”.
And they are training the next generation. God help us.
Blue masks…Virus airborne particle 125 Nanometres, blue mask filter membrane 300000 Nanometres. Ratio 2400:1 like trying to stop a grain of sand using an open garage door. Priceless.
Or as I liken it, trying to stop a river with a garden sieve.
If you want to pee them off wear one of the 3M industrial masks used by paint sprayers and their ilk. You look like Darth Vader and ‘appear’ to be masked when actually they only filter the air going into the mask, not what you breath out.
they are still trying to deceive us
or maybe they have repeated the lie for so long that they have started believing it themselves. Critical thought or exceptional intelligence not being hallmarks of the majority in hospital management.
So they have researched hand gels but not masks!
Yet AFAIK, the virus was never spread via contact with surfaces. During the so-called pandemic period, London Transport had teams out swabbing surfaces on the Tube, but didn’t find anything.
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
It could be simply that the largely clinically incompetent NHS managerial class either see this as an opportunity to exercise control or need to be seen to be ‘….doing something’
Either way a routine hospital appointment for a test later this month will see me there without face covering. “Resis,t defy, do not comply !”
You’ll be able to observe how many brainwashed Pavlov’d muppets there are around, then. Always interesting to see just how many BBC-watching cowardly cultists there are in one’s midst at any one time, I reckon. I’d be there giving them bare-faced cheek and plenty of filthy looks on my highly expressive face. Bloody numbskulls..
You are right. But in 4 or 5 such visits, while I was looking forward to confrontation, I had no opportunity being greeted with smiling acceptance. Most staff simply conform and even confide, privately, that they know its nonsense but dare not buck the system or the tyrranical ‘managers’; I have said that they need to confront it as once this kind of imposition succeeds it just gets worse by steps.
The only time I had confrontation over a mask was in a Coffee shop. I only wanted a tea (this is UK not US haha) to take out. He was polite enough but said that he could not serve me. I lent over and told him something like…..You will be wearing them for the next five years and stormed out.
happened to me in Germany. The ticket inspector on a train told me to be wear a mask. I asked her if she knew who was paying her salary and who she thought would be paying it if she turned away fare paying passengers. She retorted something about the rules being the rules, and I said there was somebody else in the history of her country who said that too. Not a good idea to say that in Germany.
Seconded 👍
Has there been open formal debate anywhere on the effectiveness of masks?
‘The Science’ does not allow debates. Only compliance.
there is probably more scientific evidence for the effectiveness of rosary beads than there is for masks.
That’s brilliant! I will recycle that line 👍🏻
As a rosary praying Catholic I can attest that they do work – unlike the face anus wraps.
Depends what you pray for in my experience. Strength to cope? Yep.
I’d be more impressed if the nurses and doctors wore the masks properly or criticised those who wear the masks under their nose.
Always interesting to see how many hospital staff play the lottery but then turn around us and tell us we don’t understand statistics and probability.
The elephant in this particular room is that the hospitals’ management will also be taking every opportunity to encourage their staff to work from home, further embedding the culture of ever-decreasing productivity for which “our NHS” is renowned.
At the hospital where my wife worked, the offices and corridors were deserted during the pandemic as every clinician and manager sought excuses to stay in bed and leave the work to their more junior staff.
Has this been shared yet? What the fluff is this garbage? If this isn’t trolling I don’t know what is. Total Mick-take, unless the government are going to take responsibility for destroying lives for no reason whatsoever, but fat chance of that; ”Communities across the country will be invited to come together to remember loved ones and reflect on the impact of the pandemic Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has confirmed that next year a COVID-19 Day of Reflection will take place on 9 March to remember the pandemic and its impact on communities across the UK. The COVID-19 Day of Reflection is one of the ten recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. To mark the fifth anniversary of the pandemic, people across the UK are invited to come together to remember and reflect on this unique period of our history as well as their own experiences. The day will be an opportunity for the public to remember and commemorate those who lost their lives during the pandemic, reflect on the sacrifices made and the impact on our daily lives, and pay tribute to the work of health and social care staff, frontline workers, researchers and all… Read more »
Would be a great opportunity to burn a masked effigy of a SAGE ‘scientist’ or maybe a stack of face masks.
Barely a day goes by when I don’t “reflect on covid”. My reflections are probably not what Nandy is hoping for though. “Culture Secretary” – who the hell do these people think they are to set themselves up to be “responsible” for our “culture” (they are trying to destroy it…)?
With you on that tof👍
My type of reflections is Nuremberg 2.0
Funnily enough the words Foxtrot Oscar spring to mind. Again.
I’ll take the opportunity to reflect on the way that “our NHS” closed its doors to my 89 year old mother who was suffering extreme back pain in March 2020, and failed to provide her with the necessary physiotherapy, or even basic pain relief. In the event, her pain and the feeling of isolation were so extreme that she attempted to take her own life and, only then, did an ambulance arrive.
(Ironically, when she came round in hospital, her first contact was with a psychiatrist who was there to assess whether she should be sectioned. After a short discussion, he agreed with her that her actions had been an entirely rational response after the NHS had failed her.)
FFS!
Oh dear…… this doesn’t look good. Will they be clapping on the streets again?
I’m thinking only those with Stockholm Syndrome will partake.😬😷🧟♂️
“It’s important that people take part in the way that is right for them.”
Fine words, but I bet anyone organising a public demonstration against lockdowns, masks and untested jabs will be informed that their plan is inappropriate and insensitive.
The day of reflection should be for every politician, etc. who supported masks and all the other useless measures, to ponder about how stupid they were.
Still the medical profession or some of them at least, think masks work. Guess the same people still use leeches
They’re trying to keep the mind virus alive in the hope that they’ll eventually manage to have a renewed pandemic of hand sanitizer, face masks and closing down of the hospitality industry. That’s particularly evident in
The Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has asked staff to wear the coverings in all patient-facing areas in response to a “low uptake of flu vaccine” in the local area.
Unfortunatly, our wings have been temporarily clipped, but we’ll still punish whoever we can as hard as possible for not accepting our urgent health advice about important vaccine products.
“low uptake of flu vaccine”
What a Pfizzer.
Only about of ILI’s are actually “Flu”. Fact.
So, all hail the miracle Flu vaccines
The management aren’t the ones in “patient-facing” roles, so they are more than happy inflicting these rules on their more junior staff….
Leeches are still used in some situations, they are very good at reducing oedematous tissue to promote healing. The leeches are not asked to mask up.
Smile Free suggested telling these Trusts to rescind these masking instructions, so I did. I received a reply from Hull, which was trenchant in refusing to acknowledge that masks are ineffective. Here is an excerpt:
“This decision is under constant review and if we think we can relax this measure we will or if we have to go further we will do.”
I think this is called doubling down on stupidity.
Sounds more like ‘foxtrot Oscar, what’s it got to do with you?’
I told both Hull and Lincolnshire to get a grip. They replied with the usual nonsense-filled boilerplate. I then asked them to provide a copy of the risk assessment they carried out in advance of reintroducing the face mask mandates. Sweet FA so far.
Please provide by return email a copy of the risk analysis you performed before reintroducing face mask mandates.
Specifically, with regards to
1. The potential for elevated infection risk from the improper wearing and keeping of face masks.
2. The potential for dangerously elevated levels of CO2 in the blood (hypercapnia).
3. The potential for communication failures when people cannot read faces and/or mouths, particularly for those who are hard of hearing.
4. The potential for elevated stress in those with histories of abuse.
I look forward to reading your comprehensive justification for your actions.
Those were pretty much the same points I made in my initial email to them too, they decided to completely ignore them.
I might go back with a similar request, but I confess I’d much rather turn up there with a pair of large pliers for attitude adjustment.
If they already have a history of abuse, they can surely take some more of it!
I think 4. is more generally applicable. At least, being among masked people and more so if being forced to mask themselves ought to be very stressful to people who don’t cope well with sudden, sweeping changes, eg, autists. I find masked people extremely hard to stand (I really want to run away from them and hide somewhere, but I stopped doing that some time in my teens¹) and being masked seriously drives me nuts as I’m constantly afraid that I will run out of oxygen unless I move very slowly and carefully.
¹ I used to run away and hide from tragic love scenes and other emotionally highly charged parts of movies when I was a child because I simply couldn’t stand the emotions.
Wearing a mask is a clear sign of utter stupidity, unless you are a surgeon (still questionable) or working in a dusty, or similar, environment. Anyone truly suffering from flu will be in bed and those with a cold are better off without restricting their air intake.
Just refuse, say no, this madness and control freakery needs to be stopped in its tracks. My guess is the majority with flu and Covid in hospital are those that have taken the injections, wouldn’t it be interesting to know what proportion have had Covid injections and Flu injections, their immune systems are ruined.
Forgive them Lord for they know not what they do.
Perhaps they’ve never heard of Tom Jefferson and the Cochrane reviews re NPI’s
i mean he’s only the world leading expert/author on these matters.
In basic English, masks have no value whatsoever in preventing the spread of ILI’s.
the only NPI which works, slightly, is hand washing.
Masks are good only for manufacturers and frightening snowflakes into compliance. Screw them.
Sadly they alarm kids though. Unforgivable.
More people get ill and die in winter.
Shock.
My sister’s doctor in Chicago told my sister she is no longer recommending anyone take another covid jab. Why aren’t doctors doing the same here. They do not prevent covid, they cause adverse events, cancers and heart damage. Who on earth would even think of prescribing such a drug much less consent to taking the drug?
And all as if masks actually do any good. “Are the people who run our hospitals scientifically illiterate?”, he asks rhetorically.
I like the way they blame it on the public for not having their flu vaccinations. That’s a neat little touch. Presumably if we all queue up to have whatever they want to stick in our veins, they’ll let us off wearing the masks? No, I thought not!
This week, hospitals. Next week, supermarkets (got to keep people safe in the last few days before Christmas), and we’ll have to wait for January for the schools.
There is a very thorough explanation in the following video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEwi_NUpk0k&t=4s
Stephen Petty, Expert, Industrial Hygienist gives solutions far more effective than masks
https://rebuildnh.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/1_Petty_New_Hampshire_Legislature_Presentation_January_27_2022.pdf
And the following are some of my favourite ‘solutions’ to the mask question.
How do we trust the NHS when they mandate face masks that are designed for surgeons to be worn to protect against airborne viruses? How good is the rest of their knowledge on more complex subjects?
Rather than sporting these ridiculous ‘smile inhibitors’ could we not just be given the choice of wearing a badge reading ‘I WILL OBEY’ or ‘I WILL NOT OBEY’ as that is the information the authorities are actually interested in.
Hmm smacks of “lets see if we can control again” to me, didnt first time, so nope not this either.
The jab of doom has trashed everyone’s immune systems so of course they’re all getting flu. Plus, I bet none of these dopes take Vitamin D supplements.
Suggest everyone here writes and makes a complaint Hope help inundate them with complaints it has worked in the past.
Evidence based medical practice? I don’t think so! Perhaps we’ll all be asked to wear garlic to ward off the devil next!!
And yet we’ve NEVER masked for flu before, and it will make zero difference.
#JustSayNO
Any evidence that masks stop the spread of viruses?
After four years of research and the knowledge that masks do not work, one has to ask, do the healthcare authorities know what they are doing. Stay away from hospitals if you are able to. They appear to be very dangerous places, primarily because they do not follow the science.
If it is only certain areas, this would provide a great opportunity to.measure effectiveness. See if those areas have notably better outcomes than those that don’t impose masking. The ‘imposers’ should be delighted to organise this analysis to prove how wise they are.