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.

No people shouldn't be wearing uniform outside of work following a shift.

Primary nurses (Practice nurses and ANPs) wearing scrubs here.

So any assumptions based on acute nurses on shift might not apply to all nurses.

So they might not be 'outside of work following a shift'.

I might start wearing my work scrubs to go shopping in. Maybe people would respect my personal distancing space.
For infection control no uniforms should be worn dirty or clean outside the clinical workplace unless you are working in the community.
Wearing a clean set of scrubs to go home May protect your family but not the patients you are in contact with at work the following day.
Unless you go into work in the home (clean ) scrubs the following shift and change them for a clean set before going on duty.
In an ideal world they would have different colours of scrubs, one for outside and one for inside hospital.

Unless you go into work in the home (clean ) scrubs the following shift and change them for a clean set before going on duty.

Why are people not wearing ordinary clothing two work, changing to scrubs/uniform and then changing back into ordinary clothing to come home? I don't really understand that and thought that was what all hospital staff did (I am clearly very naive!)

Do you honestly think NHS workers, who put their own lives and that of their families at risk day after day, are deliberately trying to worsen the situation for themselves as well as everybody else? I'm sure they know what they're doing, and I'm sure they're being responsible, thank you very much.

And does this rigmarole get repeated in the dairy, fish and meat sections too? How bloody long is your friend spending in the supermarket sending you pictures of fresh produce? Imagine how much harder it would be for the vulnerable and other key workers, who might have just come off a 16 hour shift, to get food if everyone was carrying on like this.

Just buy what you can, cook with what you've got and stop making people - especially NHS consultants - spend longer in supermarkets than necessary.

The audacity. Honestly.

@lucieinthesky it works for us, she's very happy to get two home-cooked meals and breakfast made for her each shift day.

I cannot go to the supermarket - otherwise I would. Thanks for your input, you don't agree, move along. Simple as.

Oh please do you really think that those who can’t wear their uniforms in public are flouting the rules especially at a time like this 🙄

Lots of care and community staff wear uniforms

Save your concern for those that really don’t give a fuck plenty of them about

Don't any hospitals have changing rooms? Someone on the radio today said that hospitals are running out of scrubs because staff change into clean ones when they go home. Why don't they put their own clothes on?

The fact she's happy to do that is almost as ridiculous as wearing contaminated uniforms in a supermarket would be... think about it.

I also can't go to the supermarket, fyi. You need to find less selfish ways of managing. You and your friend are not the only people that need to eat.

Don't post in AIBU if you don't want to find out you're unreasonable Sorry it's not what you wanted to hear.

Many people also agree with me - so whilst you don't that's fine - no need to come in and start attacking my friend when you have no idea where she was standing.

I don't mind if you don't agree with me - you have no idea how much I have done for NHS staff and continue to do as well...

Thanks for those who shared good advice on how to approach the hospital.

I also can't go to the supermarket, fyi. You need to find less selfish ways of managing. You and your friend are not the only people that need to eat.

How is taking three photographs of a fruit and veg aisle selfish? And I don't eat this way - it all goes to her. She does her shopping, I do not ask her to get mine in Key Worker hour.

You’ve clearly been given explanations that its clean scrubs but you still want to have a go
No wonder staff are fed up, its not like they have enough to do.
so do you not think staff know about infection control especially at these times?
Though going by your replies to people who don‘T agree with you i fear this was just a post to have a go already stressed staff

Op did you start a similar thread a few days ago

And for someone who’s partner is apparently a medic or was I am surprised they are not aware how many community staff wear uniform that isn’t something new

I work for the NHS 111 service in Scotland (NHS24), we are office based, no wards, patients etc but our compulsory uniform is an NHS tunic of varying colours depending on band and trousers, exactly the same as frontline clinical staff. We have no reason (or facilities) to store a change of clothes or to change before and after shift, so we wear our uniforms to and from work and still need to get to shops after our shifts, but your average person in the street wouldn’t realise this and instead make an assumption.

@EnthusiasmIsDisturbed No, never started a thread like this.

And my partner is a hospital medic (well his NHS rotations are all in hospitals and that is where he is working now) AND they've always had a no uniform out of the hospital policy.

I don’t know how she can take a picture of the WHOLE AISLE and you can pick things out of that for her to buy. That’s crazy!!!! How much do you zoom in?

@PrettyLittleLiar20 Not too much - I do know the aisles well so I can see if they have spuds etc if the spuds thing is full. She goes shopping for the rest of the things she needs and I do the veg and fruit list. Im trying to keep it varied but my cooking is actually quite shit!

And he isn’t aware of community services

Mmm ok

@Spanglybangles Thank you - that makes sense.

Many people also agree with me - so whilst you don't that's fine - no need to come in and start attacking my friend when you have no idea where she was standing.

No need to come in and start attacking NHS stage when you have no idea what their situations are.

*staff

@EnthusiasmIsDisturbed I haven't exactly asked him - he's working today. Keep slating my friends and family though, that's fine.

He doesn't usually work for the NHS so his awareness of community facilities outside of hospitals is probably quite low (go on, slate him for that).

I have never attacked NHS Staff - I have asked about the hospital policy on this. If you will see my first post it quite clearly says

"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?"

But you have an agenda and it's one that means no one can question the NHS or how it works so so be it - I like progressive thoughts, for myself, and for the NHS.