to want to give a present to my health visitor

[reallytired]

My health visitor is an exceptional lady. She has agreed to contine to be my family's health visitor inspite of transfering to a neighbouring area. There are other ways that she has been outstanding that I don't want to list here.

I want to send her present, but not burden her with unwanted tat. Any ideas? What would be useful to her. I was thinking of a card and a book token, but is that too boring.

My health visitor was fantastic too - I on several occasions bought her plants for her garden - everyone likes primulas and other cheerful stuff.

Failing that a nice pen ....an umberella or something practical.

Lovely thought but check first with the employing NHS organisation (I'd suggest the PALS office) if staff can keep gifts - when I worked for the NHS, we weren't allowed to.

chocs or wine

cerealqueen NHS employees can generally keep small token gifts, or gifts such as chocolates which will "officially" be shared with colleagues.
Large gifts or money etc which may be seen as a kind of bribe or otherwise inappropriate are not acceptable.

Something small and thoughtful like a pen or a plant would be lovely.

I was once given a large sum of money in a card (!) which I had to return. (it wasn't to do with my exceptional skill as a nurse , sadly the lady concerned was rather unwell so it would have been completely inappropriate of me to keep it)

meant to add even if the lady concerned had been in her right mind money would have to be returned regardless. :)

How about a WH Smith voucher?

That way she could choose a book or stationary etc?

I must have worked for the strictest organisation ever, I had to sign the hospitality register for a can of coke, told I couldn't actually have it, and it then sat in the office until it was chucked out in an office move! .

I was thinking of buying these cartoons for her and burning them onto a DVD.

www.fiveareas.com/resourcearea/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=84

Or do you think she would be insulted if someone gave her a set of cartoons. I not trying to tell her how to do her job. I just want to thank her.

I feel nervous of doing the wrong thing.

Was it health/NHS cerealqueen?
Maybe if the person had have given you own brand coke it would have been acceptable! Bet it was luxury pepsi or similar.

www.fiveareas.com/resourcearea/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=84

Purely on the basis of the one cartoon I viewed on the link I wouldn't consider it particularly suitable, and maybe she'd appreciate something that didn't remind her of work?

As already suggested, a good quality pen or a pretty umbrella that she could keep in her car would be appropriate and, most probably, much appreciated - if you buy chocs or wine she may feel that she has to share them around her office.

Alternatively, a WH Smith token will enable her to choose from a variety of helpful or pleasurable items.

I worked for a Health Authority.....it was coca cola. I can see it sitting there still, on the shelf, gathering dust.....

OP, tokens of some sort, then she can choose what she likes?

Thorntons online do boxes of chocs that you can have a photo of you choice put onto. I've bought several boxes with pictures of my DD on a pressies and they've gone down really, really well