to expect hospital to accept delivery of flowers for my mum?

[chicaguapa]

My mum went into hospital yesterday for an operation so I ordered some flowers with Next to be delivered to the hospital today when I knew she would most need a morale boost. So I was surprised to get a phonecall from Next to say that the hospital had refused delivery as they don't accept them at the hospital. So the courier had to take them away.

I live in Manchester and she's in Chichester so I couldn't have taken them myself. I am so angry that I have phoned the local paper in Chichester and they are including the story in next week's edition!

WTH

what a shame
most wards now dont let you bring in flowers for other peoples illnesses and allergys

its normal in some wards due to risks of infections.

they arenmt allowed on the transplant unit.

that is a shame but dmo's right most hospitals won't let you take them now.

...and meanwhile someone unknowingly wastes £30 on flowers that get refused?? I think that's appalling.

I'm surprised at the florist for accepting the order. This is so common in hospitals now that florists are generally aware of it and will tell you if you ask for the flowers to be delivered.

well you should check first really.

Not really all that new a restriction either.

My DH was in Pinderfields in 1993 and they wouldn't allow flowers on wards back then.

This may sound harsh but I think you are being a bit unreasonable. Hospital staff are stretched as it are without being expected to run around the hospital delivering flowers to specific patients (no way next person would have taken the time to find your mum). My local hospital is huge and it can take up to 10 mins to walk to some parts so that would be 20mins of someone's time taken up delivering flowers which as the others have said aren't often allowed anyway. Hope your mum makes a speedy recovery.

I was in hospital myself last year with meningitis and received loads of flowers. It would have never occured to me that it wasn't allowed in another hospital. It's ridiculous.

The courier takes the flowers to the ward - no one is expecting a hard-working nurse to run around looking for patients.

Interesting to realise that I'm being unreasonable though...

They are an infection risk though.

Also, would the courier find vases, arrange the flowers and pop back regularly to check and change the water?

Hope your mum gets well soon.

I am flabagasted that it's unreasonable to pay someone to deliver some flowers to a sick patient in a hosptial and they were thrown in a bin because they weren't allowed to find my mum's hospital ward and because I expected someone to get her a vase of water. Oh and they can carry infections.

What a ridiculous ridiculous world this has become.

normally flowers arrive now in bags of water so no vases needed

yes so ridicuouis isnt it to safeguard other patients.

I have heard of this before. My sil recently had a baby and they wouldnt allow flowers there either. All do do with infection spreading! Fair enough

I used to love arranging patient's flowers and the patients loved receiving them. How sad for both your Mother and you. Have you spoken to the ward sister? I agree it is a ridiculous world....Hope your Mother gets better soon. x

It is a shame, but it has been done.
Could you ask someone who is visiting to take some with them and pay that person for the flowers? Much more of a personal touch than a delivery man turning up.

Or find out when may come home and get them delivered then.

and as this is a AIBU thread - yes I think it is unreasonable that you should expect this. It wouldn't have crossed my mind to order flowers and expect them to be delivered to a hospital TBH!

Its not the couriers or Nexts fault, they would assume you had checked delivery was ok. Most hospitals dont allow flowers on certain wards now due to infection - not worth the risk to other patients.

interesting article from 2003

I have to say that I do not think there is any actual evidence that flowers increase infection risk, so I do think it is a bit ridiculous.

You'd think that (on wards where the infection risk is low) that would be a job for the nice ladies of the WRVS, especially in hospitals where their teashops have been taken away and replaced by burger bars.

We regularly get flowers delivered BTW - including massive great bloody balloons - now i would ban them!

i'm afraid that i think you are being unreasonable too. taking deliveries is not the main concern of hospital staff and there is an increased risk of infection as said numerous times already. people are always quick to complain about hospital acquired infections...
i do think it's a shame your flowers went to waste though.
i hope your mum gets well quickly.

The problem may have been with the courier rather than the flowers?

Did you clearly state what ward she was in? The courier probably would only deliver them to a main reception.

When we have flowers delivered, the flower shop delivery person usually takes them directly to the ward area.

I don't think infection risk has anything to do with it TBH

Most hospitals don't accept flowers, my mum tried to send me some but was told not to when she called to check with the ward.

I think I know the hospital you mean and I know they don't accept them as my mum used to work for them, that is why she checked.

I can understand you being pissed off but I think you are being unreasonable not to have checked first, sorry.