A message to the public:
20 reasons, from a paramedic

A thread..

1. To everyone slating the TikTok videos we do, we are human! We have feelings & get scared/upset too. The videos are morale boosting, a crucial aspect when treating YOUR loved ones in their time of need. Without a way of letting off steam we would break.

2. We are not immune & are still at risk, yet we risk ourselves & our families coming to treat you. Paramedics get sick & sometimes paramedics die. We’re risking our lives to treat you & your loved ones. Please don’t abuse us.

3. The freebies & incentives we get are ways to make us feel appreciated. It really does make a change from being punched or spat at on a job. Please just let us enjoy them instead of complaining about it.

4. We are not part of some government conspiracy theory. We are not selecting who gets sick. Please don’t listen to ‘Karen or Susan, who attended the school of life’ and got their medical knowledge from Facebook.

5. If you’ve called for an ambulance because you think you’ve got Covid, chances are you probably have as everyone is suspected now. There is always a transmission path, however; it doesn’t mean your going to die.

6. Please look after yourself! If you can google an array of other symptoms & watch the death toll avidly on a variety of sources I’m sure you can figure out to take paracetamol for a temperature, drink fluids, take immodium for diarrhoea, etc. You don’t need us to tell you that.

7. We don’t do ‘check overs’. That’s what your GP does. We offer life saving treatment in situations beyond your control. Please choose wisely.

8. We don’t have amazing PPE, we have what the PHE has told us to wear, and be that right or wrong it’s all we’ve got. The same as nurses, GP’s, carers, porters, domestic staff & other key workers. Please don’t think we’re ‘OK & protected’.

9. We like the clapping. It makes us emotional, even the hard faced staff. Thank you for that.

10. We are separated from our families too, just like you are. We miss our mums, dads, children, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and we HATE it. But we do it to protect them. It’s not about us.

11. We are bored in lockdown too on what little days we get off. We spend so much time seeing poorly people, coming home to the same 4 walls is driving us crazy, but we do it to protect YOU. Please do the same, otherwise we will all be doing it for much longer.

12. We too get angry at the news, at politicians, & at social unrest, however we keep our lips sealed. As much as we want to shout like you do, we don’t. We get on with our jobs & focus on YOU as our main priority, reassuring & helping you.

13. We are proud of the people who listen to advice & don’t break the rules. We thank you, & every Thursday, we clap for you too.

14. We don’t test for Covid like a lot of people think we do. Please stop calling for an ambulance & asking us to test you. That includes asking ‘if we think you’ve got it’ without a swab.

15. Enjoy spending time with your family, we wish we could. Everyday we go to work it makes us sad to be away from them, so make the most of it! Have fun doing home school, but if you miss a day, who cares?! It’s the memories that count.

16. Please stop calling us ambulance drivers. It really does make us rage. We actually went to university, have a degree, & some even more than that. Also, yes, women drive too.

17. If you think you need to be in hospital but we don’t, we will try to help as much as we can but don’t be surprised if we don’t take you to hospital. Hospitals are a risky place at the minute, & we are trying our best to help you by not taking you. We will offer other options.

18. Please stop wearing a mask when your in the car on your own. You can’t catch it if no one else is there.

19. To the elderly: you break our hearts all the time, especially at the minute. It’s a scary place right now, & seeing us tower over you in masks, taking you away from what you know and are comfortable with upsets us too. We just want to say sorry.

20. (Most of us) love our job. Please don’t make us hate it by going against the rules. Every patient that is sick, who covers us in bodily fulids & every patient who puts us at risk, we are still there. If you need us don’t be sorry.

From all of us: stay indoors, wash your hands, keep clapping & THANK YOU