Wondering who the clinical people are who go to supermarkets in uniform

[Singinginshower]

I see there are lots of pictures relating to the NHS shopping hour, showing people in uniform.
I don't understand how anyone who works in health and social care thinks this is OK.
I even wondered if people were 'borrowing' uniforms to get their shopping done.

They’ve gone straight from their shift!

Community nurse/ hca

No idea. We have to change out of uniform before we leave in these current times!

Some of us work in the community as well as the hospitals

YANBU. Ex dentist and I think it's grim as fuck. At least change your top. It's minging and very poor cross infection measures. It takes 1min to change a shirt.

Yes shopping straight after shift. The ones shopping at 8am are doing so after a night shift.

I'm a hca and I wouldn't though. I keep a change of clothes I'm my work bag and change before I leave

They ahould get changed, even if they half change by putting a hoodie oner the tunic, its not so glaringly obvious.

Lanyards should not be on show in a shop because they are not suppoosed to be worn when driving due to a previous incident.

But even people working in the community have a coat to put over their uniform surely

Most of us who wear scrubs to work change into clean scrubs go to go home. I assume these people are doing the same. A moment’s thought and this might have occurred to those rushing in to judge.

What’s ‘grim as fuck’ is frontline staff unable to get basic supplies.

Going to buy essentials before work ?

But even people working in the community have a coat to put over their uniform surely

Why do they need to put a coat on if they are on their way home?

Their uniform will go in the was when they get back. They have more than one you know!

people should not wear clinical clothing outside of work. It's very poor cross infection process. It doesn't matter what basic equipment they have or haven't.

www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/contracts/consultant-contracts/dress-codes

Most of us who wear scrubs to work change into clean scrubs go to go home

Eh?! Why not just put on your own t shirt and joggers?!

Yeah I don't get this either. Massive infection control issue.

YANBU I have a lot of family work in local trusts and their policies all state absolutely no uniform wearing outside the hospital, even running to the car is frowned upon.
Community workers obviously wear theirs outside but going shopping in uniform? Still a no.

How do you know that the carers in the uniform aren’t shopping for a patient?

When I had to wear a uniform at work every day we were told never to wear it outside work even to shops. People are probably violating their trust policies unless community workers

Most of these will be community / GP Practice workers. Hospital workers don’t do this - you won’t even see midwives in their uniforms when they leave their shifts.

I wondered this! Have seen pics of paramedics in uniform.

Work uniforms should stay at work to be washed.

Yep. This is exactly the kind of thing NHS staff want to hear now. FFS I give up.

Work uniforms should stay at work to be washed

And who the fuck is washing my uniform if I keep it at work?!

I've just got off of a 15 hour shift in A&E. 15 hours. I am exhausted and stressed and had a patient die and several more I wish I could have helped more. I drank 1 glass of water 1 cup of coffee and had no lunch break. Used the bathroom once.

And the first damn thing I see when I get home to rest is people judging NHS staff when they don't have a clue what the situation is! Several NHS staff are ALLOWED to wear uniform in public. Some it is even required. If they have been around infectious matter or patients they have a brain they will have changed!

But nope. Let's keep kicking them while they're down instead. That'll help.

I am an AHP and work in the community and wear a uniform. If I haven't been to patients and need to pop into the shop I just cover my top, as per our policy. I might also go to the shop at the start of the shift if I ever got up in time. All clean uniform each day. No different to going in my clean normal clothes. I wouldn't go in if I had been to a patient's home.

Community midwife - if I need the loo, or a drink/lunch, I would usually go to a supermarket. We have an unpaid 30 minute lunch, and nowhere to change (or time!). I wear a coat over at the moment. But the coat is NHS so you can tell I'm a HCP really.

@Janaih......I wondered this! Have seen pics of paramedics in uniform.
Work uniforms should stay at work to be washed.

Seen paramedics in uniform

• well yeah, they work in the community so it’s kinda necessary. Do you expect them to drive to a changing room, put on their own clothes, drive out to pick up lunch , go back and get changed again? Some people really have no idea. Same with community nurses and many social care staff.