Emergency services deserve more than just applause and appreciation

摘要

The nation has been saluting the selfless devotion of frontline staff by clapping and banging drums in the streets every Thursday. However, this may not be enough. When services have been stripped of budgets, when frontline staff are facing PPE shortages and undergoing psychological trauma in the line of duty, ministers need to have a real honest debate on addressing the issues I have highlighted. Worryingly, by elevating frontline staff to a status of 'heroes' and setting our expectations 'too high,' we may be doing a disservice by putting them potentially under 'more stress' as the guilt over not meeting those standards can be detrimental to their mental health and effectiveness. Instead, it would be more rewarding to recognise the challenges faced by our emergency services and act upon them.