Feeding the NHS staff 3 meals a day 7 days a week?

[DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou]

My local food businesses are asked for donations so they can cook and deliver 3 meals a day 7 days a week to the ICU staff at our local hospitals.

It's a really lovely thing to do, and I know people like to feel like their are helping in times of crisis.

Do the ICU staff really want curries for lunch and dinner every day?

Couldn't these generous donations be better somewhere else?

I understand gift of thanks to the ICU staff (and others!) for doing an amazing job. But do they need so many meals everyday?

I guess I'm just not totally convinced it's helping. Not every day in one direction.

Shift work means your main meal could be any time.

Shift work means your main meal could be any time.

I don't understand your point?

Don’t all hospitals have their own catering facilities? As far as I’m aware their canteens are still open 24/7 to take account of shifts, as they’ve always been. Not sure why donations of food and meals are necessary.

Myself and lots of colleagues are finding it hard to get time to shop. I leave home at 7am and get home at 9pm. If I'm not at work DH is and we have 2 young children at home.

The hospital are letting staff have complementary meals in the canteen but the queues are so long it's difficult for ITU staff to have time to use the canteen. The hot food in the staff room has been a godsend and allows for a bit of down time mid shift that requires no effort.

Yes they do, this hospital does.
Most staff take their own food anyway.

I don't understand it either.

It's unlikely the same staff members will be eating the 3 meals a day. The early shift are likely to have one meal, late shift the other and save the third for night shift.

@Redinthefacegirl

Ah well, there we go then. That's me told!

I'm very glad it's helping. I'm more than happy to be told IBU.

And I must admit I forgot to consider the obvious issue of shopping around kids and long shifts.

A friend of mine is an A&E nurse, and she says they are overwhelmed with kind donations of food: pizza, curry etc etc all the time. She said it was lovely, but implied it wasn’t entirely necessary, and that everyone was getting fat.

I suppose it keeps the businesses going, but even without covid ICU staff can struggle to take breaks to eat a full meal. I'm a nurse in a different speciality, on a very busy or traumatic day I'd probably prefer a few takeaway vouchers so I didn't have to think about cooking.

Is this the best use of money? Maybe not. It's probably appreciated by the staff and businesses though.

Thing is they can’t leave the department to go out for their meals.

They don’t want to take in lunch bags and then take them home with their own food.

Meals at the hospital canteen are free currently but the queues are massive so break is finished by the time you get served and back and changed.

Deliveries of food once or twice a day is a lifesaver.

It’s stuff like microwave packs of rice, pot noodles, crisps, sandwiches, stuff that can be on a shelf and grabbed fast when on break.
Breakfast rolls delivered yesterday morning lasted well into the afternoon and was enjoyed for breakfast and lunch.
Lovely, not fussy just need food for fuel to keep going.

It’s nice and anything not used is passed onto other departments.

Imagine being mad at someone feeding NHS staff.

Could you get any lower?

Imagine being mad at someone feeding NHS staff.

That would be awful wouldn't it!
Who's mad at someone feeding NHS staff?

@Livelovebehappy I can tell you that I'm unaware of any hospitals that have coffee shops which are open 24/7, even in 'normal times', let alone a whole canteen.

Our canteen space is open but no food being made or available.

I think anything that can help NHS staff at the moment is a good thing. As PP said, it's more to do with having less time to go to the shops when they're open and having less opportunity to cook when you already have a busy schedule - especially now if you're doing overtime etc.

I don't know if a pile of ready meals from the supermarket would be more appropriate, I suppose it depends if there is access to a microwave or now.

Different shifts likely to benefit from the food . As others have said anything leftover or clearly going to be left will be passed to other departments .
We've just received bags of easter eggs - thank you !

I know our local hospital love the donations as it allows them to not have to worry about waiting in the canteen queues or worrying about cooking food to bring in. Our local charities haven't stopped there, they provide care packages for NHS staff and the vulnerable so they can have 3 hot meals and essential shopping delivered to their homes

Not having to think or organise a meal when you’re a NHS frontline worker is very helpful. We are now working in extraordinary circumstances and have enough to think about in terms of looking after our patients without the normal means to do so including covering for staff off sick or SI.

My daughter is a nurse in a busy hospital in Newcastle, the last few weeks she's been given a free lunch of a sandwich, crisps and fruit. She's also got free parking for now. I'm not sure how wide spread the scheme is that you mention, my daughter would be delighted with a free takeaway every few days

I do think the donations could be made better use of by giving them to poor people/families and homeless people.

I know what it's like to work all day every day (care home manager so just as tired without the advantage of the nhs hour to shop). But I'd feel a bit funny about accepting food when others are going hungry.

The staggering ignorance of some people to think outside their own small little boxes is unreal.

OP next time you decide to post something so stupid, put your keyboard down.

@Livelovebehappy The only hospitals with 24h food are the really big ones. As someone who always works in district general hospitals, the canteen is not open 24hours a day. Some may have a little 24 shop, but not all.
Most hospitals I've worked in, the only food you can get (if you've forgot your own) in the middle of a night shift is vending machine food and patient tea trolley biscuits.
This is is normal times, now the coffee shops all closed but have started to re open.

So, um, don't donate if you're not convinced .

Our canteen is shut, sandwiches, fruit and water are being provided though. Teabags, coffee, milk and sugar are also being provided.

Yes, my dh is working today. Canteen shut, doesn't want to go to shop, food provided in mess really unhealthy junk. A balanced meal would be appreciated

My sister is working on a covid ward - so in the 'red zone'. She's not allowed to go to the canteen because of this. There's been some fund raising to feed her and her colleagues and she's been very grateful for it.