To say that as NHS staff we don't need freebies or gifts

[hibbledobble]

As an NHS doctor, my job is secure. I am working more at this time, and will be renumerated for that. Many people aren't so fortunate and have lost their jobs now or have reduced incomes.

I appreciate the thought, but gifts aren't needed. Emotionally and physically the job is harder now, so kindness is appreciated: if you know any working on the frontline in the NHS now, do check on how they are, offer to chat etc.

I feel like gifts would be better going to food banks, or other worthwhile causes.

That's interesting, thank you @Medstudent12

I think testing, PPE and the future (William Gibson?) is unevenly distributed.

I can assure you those creme eggs will be very appreciated! They are simple to eat and feel naughty.

I do understand what the OP is saying. Im in paediatrics and do feel a fraud when I look at the adult ITU nurses queuing up in the canteen for the free meals. Why should they have to wait up to 45 minutes? It makes me so angry that a hot trolley cant be taken up to them or that we dont have a fast track queue for those on the frontline. BTW, are other places getting all their meals free? I shudder to think where all the money is coming from.

What I have appreciated more than anything is the free Uber which stops me from getting the underground. I cant get my head around who is paying for that though? Are the drivers still getting the fare?

We don't get free canteen meals. Food delivered to the ward or staff room does make sense when shifts are busy, and also to not further expose the public to staff from covid wards. Happy to pay though.

I'm sure drivers are still given the fare with Uber. I hope so at least. I'm not using it as I cycle to work, but I appreciate it's really useful for those who would otherwise have to take public transport.

I'm an NHS front line worker and my job is secure. But my husband's business isn't so we'll be struggling pretty soon on one income. Especially if we all have to self isolate or he or my family gets ill if I bring the virus home.

I appreciate the help and gifts, although I haven't really taken any of it as it's not needed just yet.

My local group seem to be doing
Headbands with buttons
Gloves/masks/scrubs
Hand gel/toiletries
Cake deliveries

All well received

What about carers on minimum wage going round the houses to multiple clients per day, are they getting inundated with goodies?

Those in care homes, extra care/sheltered living schemes are getting gifts delivered. Gifts are also being delivered to the local office for community carers.

In my area, yes. I can only speak for myself and my co-workers but milk, teabags, coffee, biscuits and things we can snack on during shift are appreciated (cold drinks too. Old people get cold easily we don't especially when 90% of the residents have their heating set to 30 degrees and won't let us open windows.

Homemade food - no offense but we're care workers. We see how some people live and witness how many people have poor hand hygiene. Unless we know you, it's going in the bin. Sorry if that seems harsh but we have enough to worry about without food poisoning.

Basic groceries are usually donated to residents. Sadly a few more than usual have little to nothing in their fridges and freezers. Some families are struggling to get groceries to their elderly relatives and care workers are having to fill the gaps from their own pockets.

A donation to the hospital charity is a good shout. Our charity has recently used £25k to buy protective visors from a company who is 3d printing them at cost.

Working for the NHS you get fuck all in freebies most of the time which is why people get so excited by a free pen or sandwich lunch. Now we are being given stuff like this it's utterly overwhelming and feels shameful somehow.

I get where you are coming from Op but I think that there are others that do appreciate it.

Our local hospital have been putting on social media the things that they would like i.e masks, hand creams, bags for the medical staff to put their uniform in at the end of their shift. They’ve even asked if anyone can crochet small hearts so they can give one to the patient in ITU and one to a family member, which I thought was a lovely idea. They do have a fundraising account too which they have been advertising.

The donations have been very well received at my base (ambulance service) we've had a lovely donation of hot cross buns today
Easy to eat and filling!
Again I think those that are lucky enough to be financially secure shouldn't speak for those that potentially aren't.

If you want to donate then tea coffee sugar milk, cans of pop and quick snack items are the way to go in terms of food/drink.

Everything here has been very welcome and much appreciated.

Well, you are a doctor - your salary is probably not representative of all NHS workers at all - many are grateful for the donations.

But ..but.. if they don’t give you gifts and post it on social media ,how will they get their kudos and attention ??

Nope- disagree. As a nurse I have to have two jobs to support my family, Ed abuses as an A&E nurse, consistently financially devalued and now at risk of dying from at times inadequate PPE. I am well aware that people have lost everything, and I have no idea how as a country and a world we will recover or how long that will take. If someone or a business wants to show their appreciation, then I'm happy for them to do so, as opposed to being told how crap we are.

@Holymolymackerel - I can assure it would have been by most. I would have been xxx

I'm sewing scrubs and masks, and think it would be more useful if instead people donated a few quid to buy fabrics etc.

You mean...you don't need Body Shop hand creams?

Gosh yanbu - I saw on twitter that 300 Easter eggs were delivered to our children’s nurses: it was a mountain about six foot high. Wtf are they going to do with those?

What can we do, OP? I think there are a lot of us who really want to support you all but feel at a complete loss as to what to do. Our MPs aren't going to be any use, let's face it. We can give to food banks, yes, but we also want to do something for NHS staff and other carers. Do you/anyone else have any suggestions?

YABU thinking that "NHS" means highly paid individuals. The band 2's and 3's on my ward bloody deserve some free stuff.
No they don't. They deserve better pay.

7,000 Easter eggs were donated to a nearish local hospital today, by Mars. That's beyond 'nice gesture', that's just mad.
twitter.com/WorcsAcuteNHS/status/1247859234332725248

I feel a bit sorry for some of the small local businesses, who are themselves operating under challenging circumstances, as it's turned into a bit of a donation tournament on social media.

I know the safety glasses from my classroom are being used at our local hospital. It was lovely of the school to donate them but they are an absolute joke to do class experiments with, scratched etc so I feel sorry for the poor HCP having to wear those instead of the correct PPE they should have been provided with in the first place.

As for what the public can do, I'm not sure I have all the answers, but a few things that come to mind:

1. volunteer via the national scheme
2. If not working, and living in certain areas, the new NHS covid hospitals are recruiting HCAs. No prior experience is required from what I can see.
3. Donate to hospital charities
4. Help, if you can, with sourcing needed items, via schemes that exist. Sewing scrubs sounds excellent. As well as sewers, I imagine donations are needed for fabric. Other items I have seen a demand for are baby monitors, and phones for patients.
5. If you know any frontline healthcare works then call or message them to ask how they are, offer to talk if required. It's traumatic at the moment. Offering to help with basics such as food shopping, if they can't get to the supermarket due to work hours, is amazing too.
6. write to MPs asking for better working conditions and fair pay for NHS staff.
7. Don't forget that those delivering NHS care do a good job all year round, and not just during pandemics. Bear the NHS and its staff in mind when you next vote.

Any other suggestions?

Regarding low pay of certain staff, what is needed is fair pay, not free Easter eggs. Also, even low paid staff are in a better position at the moment than many who suddenly do not have jobs, and may not be eligible for government help either.

@hp goggles are really useful, thank you. For some reason, in my experience, there aren't enough of these in hospitals. Even if scratched then they are better than nothing.

One thing I was wondering, is how much use the homemade stuff is, and what is most helpful. I saw some people on FB making visors with art supplies to donate to the hospital - if we do stuff like that, would it be used, or are there issues around sterility or whatever? I can see how the laundry bags are handy.

I agree OP. It's nice but the one thing we hcps aren't short of during this time is money, well no more so than normally anyway.

And I'm the least worried about food hygiene person there is (compared to some mnetters - I eat cakes made by colleagues, eat out of date food, eat at friends houses who own 6 dogs, etc) I'm I'm afraid I wouldn't eat a Tupperware container of food delivered by a random person.