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.

I wasn’t slaying him quite obvious you have no idea of what’s going on and just have a bee in your bonnet

I’m slating you for posting utter bollocks ...

@EnthusiasmIsDisturbed Its not utter bollocks for many hospital trusts - as others have said upthread, in some it is a disciplinary offence.

Slating...

No slaying

OP I work in an NHS hospital and there is no policy in place where we are expressly told that we are not allowed to wear our uniforms to/from work. It is advised that it is best practice not to wear uniform outside of work, but we're not actually provided with an area to change in/out of uniform and the lockers we are provided with are tiny, definitely not big enough to fit a change of clothes in, so it's not actually possible to do this!

I've been off sick for a while but it's always been no uniform to or from the hospital. I stopped using the hospital laundry as my uniform was nicked on several occasions. I'm due back when the proverbial hits the fan, so fun all round.

Oh my gosh you are so progressive give yourself a pat on the back 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 nobody ever thought scrubs or uniforms could be contaminated before you came along, thank goodness you've stopped looking at vegetables long enough to share this revelation.

My agenda is to support the nhs, and to not be a massive douche in supermarkets.

Moving along now as there's just no hope this will sink in for you.

@yma123 It must be down to each trust then. I've seen staff given warnings for wearing uniform out with work. It's been infection control policy ever since I've been in NHS, over 20 hrs now.

Again you know the roles of these people

Are you aware that many in the nhs who deal with patients do not wear a uniform in mental health we mostly don’t (physical health staff do)

And are you aware of the constant information we are receiving day in day out - no you are not

And while I have questioned some colleagues dedication to their role at times everyone is taking this extremely seriously because it’s not just about their job, the people we care for it’s about their own lives, their families lives and everyone they come into contact with we are more than aware of that

@Zombiemum1946 oh 100% it is down to each trust, I wasn't trying to say that they don't have those policies in place anywhere, was just trying to say that's not the case in every trust!

Thank you @Zombiemum1946 and @yma123

Goodluck for your return Zombie

We have two now closed laundrettes near the hospital, and near me, i am wondering if there's a way we can sort out NHS uniform washing in their through a community fund in the mornings (to be ready in the afternoon) and the evenings, to be ready in the morning (it may have ot be the following morning)

For those of you slating (or slaying me), the main reason I was actually thinking about this was due to the nurse that posted the procedures to keep her uniform away from her family at home on social media a couple of weeks ago.

Nhs guidance is that staff do not wear uniform whilst travelling to or from work . This would be unacceptable for staff working in any NHS hospital .

@primadonna1 as I said this is not the case in the trust I currently work in, or the other two I have worked in previously, so what you're saying just isn't true! Maybe in your local trust it is, but it isnt the case everywhere.

I work in NHS and we are not permitted to wear uniform
Outside of work place

@spoonfulofdragon as I say the main problem I found was people taking my uniform and not returning it (usually the trousers). It was such a problem the trust started putting staff names on the outside of the uniform. I just gave up and took them home. If I could guarantee they were returned (I only have 2 despite working 5 days) the following day then I would. I'm in outpatients and in close contact with 15 to 30 patients a day. I don't know where I'll be redeployed . @yma123 You're absolutely right to point that out. I wasn't aware it was different between trusts. My pal is in bts and walks in in her uniform but she's going out in the community with the mobile unit so presumably she comes under the community service policy.

I've never seen a District Nurse in scrubs!

Nhs guidance is that staff do not wear uniform whilst travelling to or from work . This would be unacceptable for staff working in any NHS hospital

Just to say the GP’s in our surgery are currently wearing scrubs so, after working in practice, they can hot wash them rather than their usual own clothes which would have o be washed at 40 degrees.
The practice nurses always go and buy lunch in their uniforms and go to and from work in their uniforms anyway so the person in the supermarket may not actually work in a hospital.

Again, PNs, ANPs (and GPs) in primary here all wearing scrubs.