Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Xmas gifts for NHS staff - advice please

36 replies

Robs20 · 05/12/2019 13:24

Hoping I haven’t posted this twice as my signal is terrible!

Dd1 was in hospital for 4 months after birth, including xmas 2017. Last xmas we collected gifts from family, friends and businesses (we got A LOT of donations) and put together 40 gift bags for families on the neonatal unit.

Dd1 died very unexpectedly at the start of this year. Her 2nd birthday was last week and I would like to mark it by doing something charitable for the hospital. They are now supporting me through a high risk twin pregnancy and couldn’t have been better so far.

For emotional reasons I don’t feel like I can do the nicu boxes again but have been thinking about what NHS staff might need/ appreciate. I was thinking maybe a good supply of hot chocolate/ biscuits etc but realise there might be obvious things I’m not thinking of. I think I can get a decent amount of donations/ ££ contributions to buy something.

I will ask the neonatal unit too, but do any hospital workers here have any suggestions?

OP posts:
OctoberLovers · 05/12/2019 13:26

Chocolate / biscuits / sweets always go down well im sure....

OctoberLovers · 05/12/2019 13:27

Sorry for your loss of your daughter 💐

notthemum · 05/12/2019 13:30

I don't hàve anything useful I'm afraid but just wanted to say
Sorry for your loss
Good luck
💐

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Christmas Events & celebrations Families General shopping
MyPatronusIsAnOrca · 05/12/2019 13:39

I’m sorry for your loss Flowers.

A close friend is a nurse and she once told me that someone had gifted their ward a twinnings tea chest thing with lots
of different types of tea bags in it and that they had all loved it and they’ve kept the chest and replenish the tea bags themselves as a team or via gifts.

I always remembered that so I did the same after the birth of my DS.

OctoberLovers · 05/12/2019 13:48

Oh yes, thats a good idea, Nice tea and coffee....

So expensive Tea / coffee. Biscuits, sweets, chocolate...

Could you maybe get a monthly subscription of a magazine delivered to their ward for the staff room?

Or maybe pay a florist for a bunch of flowers for their staff room every few weeks or monthly?

ClientListQueen · 05/12/2019 14:01

I did a gift after I had an op of
Tea/coffee/hot chocolate
Sweets/chocolates
Biscuits/cake
Hand cream (lots of!)
Pens Grin
Cordial (the little squeeze bottles)

ditsybag · 05/12/2019 14:02

I'm so sorry for the loss of your daughter Flowers

I'm a midwife, someone once brought in a huge case of mini hand creams (small enough to fit into scrubs pockets) that was great.

Nice tea and coffee are always appreciated, we often get chocolates or biscuits which are also very much appreciated but the nice tea / coffee is more unusual and makes such a nice treat. Fruit basket good too, and crisps / crackers as sometimes you just want a little something savoury at the desk to keep you going.

Fredastaireatemyjamsandwich · 05/12/2019 14:08

We bought a big box of fruit; that had a peel - i.e Satsumas, Banana, Oranges, Kiwis, so they didn't have to wash the skins prior to eating. Most of the nursing staff I know are on permanent diets and it meant people with dairy/gluten allergies could tuck in too.

Original poster
Robs20 · 05/12/2019 14:14

These are all good ideas, thank you :)

OP posts:
busymummy19 · 05/12/2019 14:15

I'm a nurse and you can't loose with lots of tea and coffee and pens with black ink xx

Sorry for your loss xx

muddypuddled · 05/12/2019 14:24

Do sorry for your loss. You sound like a lovely person for thinking of others in this way.

As a nurse, some of my wards favourite gifts from patients and family are nice tea/coffee/hot chocolate and biscuits/chocolates. Black ink pens. Fruit baskets so that we're not eating unhealthy food at work and most recently we were gifted a hamper full of different cheeses, crackers and cured ham and chutneys which was amazing! At this time of year I think most nhs staff have buffet food in the staff room, it helps it be a little nicer to be at work when you're missing out on family time around Christmas. Hope that helps!

RatherBeRiding · 05/12/2019 14:29

So sorry for your loss, and as the DM of an over-worked NHS nurse I know from her that they can never get enough decent tea, decent coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits, chocolates etc etc. They work long shifts and often have to work through breaks, so being to able to grab a hot drink and decent snack keeps them going.

It's a lovely thing you're doing - believe me, the staff really, really appreciate these gestures.

Turnipsorswede · 05/12/2019 14:45

Food treat are always welcome.
The other useful thing is a personal letter to any specific nurses, we have to revalidate every 3 years and positive patient feedback is really useful.

bloodywhitecat · 05/12/2019 14:50

Fruit boxes. I used to work on a NICU/SCBU/neonatal ward and our wonderful Consultant used to arrange fruit boxes for all his wards at this time of year, it was always a welcome change from biscuits and chocolates.

I am so sorry for your loss Flowers

Original poster
Robs20 · 05/12/2019 17:15

Do you think something like a nespresso machine and tonnes of capsules would work? Or better to stick to normal nice tea and coffee?

I like the idea of fruit too. I remember when we were there, the ward was overflowing with naughty food!!

Pens are also a good shout. I remember the nurses never having pens/ having to buy their own.

@Turnipsorswede the letter is a good idea. I have actually been meaning to write to a nurse who cared for Eliza in the last few hours of her life, and then us over then next few hours and days. She was truly amazing and had such a profound impact on our lives. I wonder if I should also write to a couple of people from the neonatal unit too. The psychologist in particular was amazing. Without her there is no chance I would have survived our time there.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m so looking forward to doing something positive in Eliza’s memory.

OP posts:
JoeGargery · 05/12/2019 17:19

Nespresso is actually the ideal suggestion. It’s an extremely kind and generous thought.

May I say, your post brought tears to my eyes. That you could have been through so much and be thinking of others... Your DD and DTs are very lucky to have you. Flowers

BettysLeftTentacle · 05/12/2019 17:26

Ok so sorry for your loss. Thankyou so much for thinking about the NHS staff that supported you. It blows my mind how families can be so generous and thoughtful despite experiencing the most unimaginable of circumstances.

Anything to eat and drink. Foods to make them feel good and things thy can be eaten in the go or picked at. A Nespresso machine is a great idea. Please do write a letter or a card. Those are the most appreciated. If your hospital has any staff recognition schemes, that’s always a really good idea too.

rugbychick1 · 05/12/2019 17:52

As an nhs worker too, I echo the nice tea/coffee/hot chocolate (not everyone drinks tea,), hand cream and black pens. We have to use black ink

KipperTheFrog · 05/12/2019 19:54

Flowers for your loss. And hope everything goes well for your twins.
Do write the personal thank you cards, they can use them for their portfolios for revalidation!
The nespresso is a nice thought, but what about when the pods you provide run out? It's more expensive to keep going than tubs of instant.
All the other suggestions are great.

CAG12 · 05/12/2019 20:14

Im a nurse. We get so much chocolate etc.

The best present we ever got was a fruit hamper - went down a treat

BalloonSlayer · 05/12/2019 20:31

So sorry for you loss.

I made a cup of tea for some paramedics recently. They mentioned that there were never any forks in their break room!

TooStressyTooMessy · 05/12/2019 20:41

So sorry for your loss Flowers.

People have lovely ideas so far. I agree with Balloon. Cutlery for the staff room would be brilliant. Lots and lots and lots of teaspoons (just buy cheap metal ones if you do this as they tend to walk!).

The absolute best gift would be a card / letter / email. They mean so much especially the heartfelt ones and are also useful for revalidation etc. as Turnips and Kipper said. If there are people you have been meaning to write to I’m sure they would love to read a letter. You can also copy in PALS, patient experience, chief executive office if you would like if there is specific special praise you want to give.

Babysharkdoodoodood · 05/12/2019 20:51

After I finished chemo, I made up a box with lots of lovely hand creams, and some unscented for those with allergies etc, plus lots of perfume samples and hand cleansers.

TooStressyTooMessy · 05/12/2019 21:07

Oooh yes the unscented hand cream is an excellent idea.

valentinoandme · 06/12/2019 05:45

As an NHS worker, I'd stay clear if a Nespeesso machine - we received one similar and it didn't last 5 mins - people used it wrong (hard to do with a Nespresso, I know!), didn't clean it out, didn't descale it, etc. They're also quite noisy to use in the middle of a night shift.

Nice teas and normal coffees would definitely work better, even a cafetiere. Biscuits in a tin so they don't go soft (if there happens to be any left!) and chocolates always go down well.

Swipe left for the next trending thread