Key workers in Uniform in the Shops

[SpoonfulofDragon]

Ok, I could very well be being unreasonable here, however the hospitals where we have just moved from had a policy that staff were not allowed to leave hospital grounds in uniform so seeing people out in uniform is a little weird.

Friend went to key workers hour at the super market and was texting me photos of the fruit and veg aisle (we are doing a thing where they bring the food round and leave it on the doorstep, I cool a meal, they pick it up after their shift).

Anyways, the photo showed several NHS staff in uniform - I am guessing that some of them had ended their shift, rather than were starting their shift.

It's kind of perturbed me a bit to think that they are still allowed to do this when we know Covid-19 can live on clothes?

Surely hospitals should be implementing policies that mean uniforms can get washed at work, then again maybe all the changing / staff rooms are now bed spaces?

Generally grateful for all the NHS are doing, but this just seemed a bit scary to me.

They’re probably district nurses .

I’m sure they’d rather not be going from house to house at the moment either .

I thought this new policy was to protect workers? From thieves who wants to steal their ID cards and from vigilantes who hassle (is that the right word?) them for it. Op have you got a storage solution for their clothes and will you clean it for the workers? Ready to wear when they start their next shift?

@Purpletigers perhaps some, not all though. I've never seen a District Nurse in scrubs!

@Number3or4 Well, our old hospitals managed it - they had a machine it went into (it was like a big yellow thing on the wall)... This may have been for scrubs only but those with "personalised" scrubs also used it.

Care workers wear uniform and do not have any choice bu to go house to house.

Were they in scrubs or uniforms?

As pp said above they could be carers or district nurses, my friend said she's had terrible abuse 3 times now for being in her uniform outside - she's required to wear it out and about doing her job!

My other GP pal has said she's using her time in isolation at present to sew herself some scrubs as there's none available for her. It's ridiculous how little or ineffective PPE or scrubs the front line workers are getting provided with. They don't get mask fit tests or anything and it's often just fabric face masks not even proper masks.

@CaryStoppins There were people in both.

@lynzpynz Yes, agree - there are many people sewing scrubs at the moment, and the fabric masks.

Carers wear uniform perhaps they were shopping for clientsvor maybe they were going home after a shift I don't think they are putting patients in danger on purpose though I think you are finding something else to worry about and share the worry/panic

I work in scrubs in ICU. Every one of us who leaves in scrubs has changed into a fresh pair to go home. Where I am you won’t see us in shops of course as the supermarkets have reduced opening hours to only twelve hours a day.....shorter than my shifts.

I am so tired of reading stupid goady posts like this when a moment’s thought might have suggested to you what most staff are doing.

It is really most unlikely that you need to explain the concept of fomites to doctors and nurses.

@trixiebelden77 Not goady at all - my partner is a medic at the hospitals near where we used to live - their policy was no scrubs/uniform outside of the Trust.

So yeah, it shocked me to see that photo today.

I'm a community OT. I'm very aware of being in uniform out and about. We wear ppe in peoples homes. I have a change of uniform in my car but it's a nightmare.

I haven't set foot in a shop though.

Alot of the GPS, nurse practitioners, District nurses, OOH nurses in our Trust are all wearing scrubs at the min. Also changing into their clean scrubs when they finish so they aren't wearing their own clothes. Surely you could have thought about that?

@trixiebelden77 well said, I agree. I have been very fortunate in the past not to receive too much abuse during my time with the NHS but in the last week it has been awful.
I have popped into the shop on the way home from work and been asked aggressively why am i out?!
Shouted at by a patient for standing to close to them at work, after they had called me over for help. There are many more, but tbh i am too tired to continue listing them.

Lots of community workers have no choice but be out in public in their uniforms.

Mig just change into clean scrubs

When I trained no uniforms were allowed to be worn outside the hospital apart from district nurses.All uniforms were washed in house.
Then the hospital laundries went and we were issued with Less uniforms so the got taken home to wash.Then the changing facilities were removed.
So now staff are supposed to change in the toilets and maintain social distancing.
But that doesn't mean you should be in supermarkets I uniform.
Send a lette to the hospital though not Mumsnet.

Your friend is a dick for taking pictures of them in the first instance . These people are risking their lives atm . Give your head a wobble !

@Purpletigers She was not taking pictures of them - did you read the post? She was taking photos of the fruit and veg to aisles so I could chose what I need her to get (She's also risking her life) so I could make her meals for the next set of shifts.

You can take photos of fruit and vegtables in tesco without capturing other people doing their bloody shopping

Maybe just cover up with coat like we used to do.

Or she could just tell you what fruit and veg they have like a normal person would do 🤷‍♀️

@Mrsjayy Yes, if she took one of every item individually - bit hard to do when she's going into hospital for her shift. She took photos of the entire aisles, I saw what there was and text back with a list of things.

@Greggers2017 Photos are easier in our (very limited) experience of this!