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.

We're working 12 hour shifts
3 hours in PPE then break
I don't want to take my own food from home and risk bringing anything back
It's hard to shop and have time or ingredients to batch cook
There is no time to shower to go to the canteen

We are grateful for everything we receive, ice lollies, cakes, meals
It's a really great idea and a lovely thing to do

when we had severe flooding in our town on Boxing Day a Sikh charity arrived and gave out pre packaged curries. It was a godsend, so kind. Made everyone feel loved somehow. Food is about more tahn just calories.

It sometimes seems to me that people do this to make themselves feel better because they don't want to give. If you don't want to, don't. But if you are trying to assuage your guilt at not giving by making out it's useless and misguided, maybe don't do that either.

It's the same as 'all these big charities are useless'. Great, give to a smaller one. Or is it that you don't actually want to give and criticising charities gives you an excuse?

Sikh charity arrived and gave out pre packaged curries.

The Sikh community does an incredible amount.

Any food donation is great. A fridge', microwave and a kettle would also be appreciated. Staff rooms are always in need of somewhere to store food. Personally I would like fresh boxed salads sandwiches and fruit and loads of pop because break time is never long enough to digest a decent meal.

A lot of our local restaurants are doing it because they had stock left and needed to use it up. I've seen pasta, pizza, curries, sandwiches all donated and a local cake shop is delivering to a different ward/hospital most days

Nurses generally get 2 or 3 half hour breaks per 12hr shift, docs grab one when they can. Walking down to the canteen, queueing up and walking back can easily fill that whole break without even starting to eat.

YABVVU and frankly need to shut up and piss off

That sounds like a great idea, they are asking for donations, not forced. And it's really easy to imagine those who is on the frontline don't have time to cook or get nutritional food easily, when they need a lot of energy and stamina to cope with heavy workload.

In my area, restaurants and eateries are providing pizzas etc. I imagine that all the hospital food shops etc are shut. This is completely unprecedented OP. Times are difficult, we need to think outside of the box. My uncle works in a American hospital, they are giving out free masks and cups of tea as well to all workers.

Where are these hospitals that have a canteen open 24/7? In 40 years of nursing never experienced that.

Your post is a shining example of the complete, total and utter ignorance that many people have , of the reality of being a frontline nurse in this situation.
How you or anyone else can begrudge nurses who are quite literally putting their lives on the line, one bloody hot meal ( or perhaps 2 on a twelve hour shift) is staggering.

But it’s a true saying that whilst this situation has shown us the absolute best of people, your post is a perfect example of the worst. Embarrassed for you OP.

Totally agree Lemonblast.

Your post is a shining example of the complete, total and utter ignorance that many people have , of the reality of being a frontline nurse in this situation.

100%! The what-about-ery (shouldn't these resources go where I prefer them, as I find my ideas more worthy? What about (causes I feel are more deserving)?), the whole 'But they have 24-hour canteens!, I'm not convinced. Then give to something else. Go feed the starving stray corn snakes or save the flowers or something. If a business wants to solicit for donations to do something that's their business.

Where are these hospitals that have a canteen open 24/7? In 40 years of nursing never experienced that.

Oh, the OP knows for a fact this hospital does. And that most of the staff bring their own food. She just doesn't understand, isn't convinced and sees it as charity just all going in one direction.

Perfectly reasonable question OP.

What a shame you've had some aggressive replies from people who have embarrassed themselves.

It's always hard to know how to get the right resources to the right people.

I've worked in hospitals but have no idea what the situation is in there at the moment. I've read some stories that say staff arent getting breaks.

A PP suggestion that takeaway vouchers would be good sounds excellent. From these posts it sounds very varied. But that these donations would be welcomed.

PPE should be the number 1 priority for the government but I can see that providing free food on duty would be a great idea.

I now find myself working in a community hospital with a couple of wards.
The kitchen only cooks for patients. There is nowhere for staff to buy any food at all and we obviously can’t pop out for a sandwich as we might usually do. As a family we are shopping as infrequently as possible which means that we are often without bread for sandwiches so my lunches are increasingly odd!
It would be a real help if the smaller hospitals were thought about too. I know I’m not on an ITU all day, but getting patients home after rehab is key to this situation too.

@TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg

Where did the OP even mention 24 canteens?

It's always hard to know how to get the right resources to the right people.

It really isn't. I have a friend who gives to charities that support children. I give to ones that support women. My other friend, animal charities. We don't spend our time telling each other we should all support the same charity. OP didn't start a thread asking people to donate to food banks.

If you don't want to give to the NHS, fine, no one knows or cares. But suggesting people shouldn't? Just why?

As long as the food donated is safe, from a place with a decent food hygiene rating. Really don't want food poisoning on top of all else.

I have always thought it's wrong that nurses are often unable to eat healthily on duty, when they are working to keep others healthy. They should have a canteen serving good quality, healthy meals and for those who would find it hard to leave their wards it should be delivered to them.

‘I've worked in hospitals but have no idea what the situation is in there at the moment. I've read some stories that say staff arent getting breaks. ‘

Yet you still feel qualified to reply

I don’t understand the vitriol towards the OP here - she’s not denying that NHS staff deserve the food, was merely questioning whether it would actually be useful or appreciated.

Local business aren’t exactly “donating” under this model are they? They’re still getting paid by asking for “donations”, they’re not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

(Not that it makes them bad people for doing this - obviously they want to keep their businesses going).

And surely it’s fair enough to query whether a steady stream of takeaway curries, pizzas etc are the best thing; as PP have specifically said on here that they’d prefer balanced/healthy meals if possible.

I am a nurse in the NHS and as much as we all appreciate the gifts and discounts and donations etc, I do feel like it would be better off going to others. Yes we are very busy just now and work is tough, but I am grateful to still have a job in these times and I'm not loosing income. The donations and free stuff would be greatly appreciated by the many people who have lost thier jobs and businesses and are struggling financially. So kind of people giving gifts etc but sometimes feel a bit bad for others who may need it more.

We are getting breakfast, lunch and dinner got free at the moment. Don’t know how long it will be able to go on for though..