Donating food to the NHS - AIBU

[Helpthefoodbanks]

My social media feed locally is full of people donating food etc to the NHS staff. The latest one was 100 bags full to take up there from donations - which is deserved because the NHS are obviously working their backsides off and deserve the recognition.

However at the same time, the local food banks are crying out for donations. I took some stuff round the other day and they said they were running low and although people donated lots at the start of the pandemic it’s slowed in donations and they have so many more families to feed.

I know it shouldn’t be an either/or but AIBU to think that maybe donations of food/money may be better sent to help those struggling financially?

Fully accept some hospital staff may also be struggling financially but it just feels like people think they’ve done their bit by donating there when infact it’s not the place that needs it most? Definitely not bashing NHS, they don’t even ask for it - it’s all good Samaritans organising.

Considering the NHS absorbs 10% of the GDP of the world's 5th largest economy I don't think I'll be donating anything to it. I respect those NHS professionals who are working hard under difficult circumstances (just like thousands of police officers, prison staff, retail and transport workers, etc.) but its high time for an honest conversation about the dead weight of NHS bureaucracy before we pour yet more resource into it.

YABU. Food banks are far to selective. I know that obviously there are certain things they may have an abundance of, but whenever they turn things down they put someone off donating in the future.

Someone I know bought too many of a specific food item in their grocery delivery accidentally and when he contacted the food bank to donate the excess to them they declined. He said he wouldn’t bother again because it was if they expected certain things to be available when actually lots of people donate surplus food they have.

I wouldn’t give grocery parcels to the NHS either, but neither would I donate to a food bank.

I run a food bank. Occasionally we’ve sent stuff to our local hospital - one, because the “friends of the hospital” indicated they were taking donations but mainly because we’d received, for example, 250 egg sandwiches from Tesco expiring that day and knew that we wouldn’t be able to use them but people coming off long shifts might. (Foodbanks share among themselves too, but on quiet days/with certain items it doesn’t really work.)

I don’t really have a problem with “let’s send a (hygienic) care package to show we’re thinking about our hard working doctors and nurses” but, yeah, the diversion of resources from food banks to the NHS I really don’t agree with.

Having said that, we don’t know that parcels donated to the nhs aren’t then passed on to food banks do we?

I know during first lockdown a local pizzeria sent 25 large pizzas to local large hospital every night for almost 3 months. So staff working rediculously long hours could eat before doing their next shift. Not heard of food parcels though.

@Kendodd

I have a real issue with donating food and essential items to anyone, including food banks. I thing the very existence of food banks in the UK brings shame on every single one of us. Poverty at that level should not exist is a supposedly rich country.

I completely agree with you but I donate to the local food bank because you can’t eat principles. Feed the kids first and argue the politics afterwards.

By “food”, do you mean sending in some nice cupcakes etc for staff? That’s the only thing I’ve seen, and very different to groceries/food parcels.

It’s bags for staff with collection points in all of the villages and towns surrounding the local hospital. They’re asking for donations of things like chocolate, crisps, drinks, biscuits but also creams.

its high time for an honest conversation about the dead weight of NHS bureaucracy before we pour yet more resource into it.

I think you'll find 'free at the point of use'is a lot less bureaucratic than any other system.

I work for the NHS. It is tough going, but would 100% rather people gave the food to food banks, left food at the supermarkets who are collecting, or donate money to food banks. I don't know about other Trusts, but ours has banned the sharing of food like takeaways, cakes etc. We can have things like sweets that are individually wrapped.

I’ve seen a few being shared; one person making care packages of food, books and dvds etc. I’m quite sure drs and most nurses can well afford these things/ have them. No mention of them going to other hospital staff. But the thank you letter was very well displayed.....
Surely it would be better for a donation to be made, or make something for the patients, but it wouldn’t get the same ‘awwwww you’re so caring for our heroes, love you huns’ on social media.

The thing which I always find hard though with even takeaway donations to the nhs staff, is that they never appeared to go to patients, and we all know the standards of hospital food; I’m sure at one stage it was a priority to improve this- people can’t get well on grey mush and sandwiches. I just hope things were shared, because covid was crap for patients with other illnesses too, especially if family couldn’t bring stuff in for them. I hope that I am wrong however, and patients also got some treats.

I've never seen anything in the media or social media about donating food to the NHS, I'm also an NHS nurse in a busy ward and have never heard of us nor any other ward in the hospital having groceries donated to them.

@AuntieStella

I voted YABU because my local food bank is not accepting foodstuffs right now. They actively don't want people turning up and dropping stuff.

What they do want is cold hard cash.

That's not social media friendly, no photo op. But so necessary.

I use the Ocado 'you give we give' scheme - so for every £5, they provide £10 of shopping to food bank.

The Ocado scheme sounds good.

People should enquire about their local supermarket. Whilst our Morrisons take food bank donations (and also donate a MASSIVE amount of their own stock) after enquiring, I donate cash to a set bank account and a member of their Community team will use it to purchase what they are most needing and use their generous staff discount, so the money goes even further. They'll then send me a copy of the receipt to show what was bought and to prove the money was spent (I've never asked them for this, but it is good practice)

Definitely worth asking if other supermarkets do the same.

@Kendodd

its high time for an honest conversation about the dead weight of NHS bureaucracy before we pour yet more resource into it.

I think you'll find 'free at the point of use'is a lot less bureaucratic than any other system.

Depends if you think that the commissioning structures in England provide good value given that they are unable to operate without the added cost burden of CSUs, clinical alliances etc., not to mention the time burden on GPs who are often dragged into time consuming commissioning meetings that they're ill qualified to inform. Let's also remember the dismal inefficiencies of the NHS supply chain and procurement processes and the poor value that PFI built environments often offer. Let me know if you think any of that represents good value? Representing the NHS as a more effective system than one that's entirely privatised is like comparing Yeltsin's Russia to Trump's America.

The only thing I can think that you're meaning is perhaps people dropping off biscuits/treats for staff? That is completely different to what is insinuated by "donating food" to the NHS.

NHS clinician here in A&E. In the first lockdown I remember small businesses bringing in meals and there used to be something on almost every shift. Cupcakes, brownies, curries, pizzas etc. Obviously it was a very nice gesture of thanks and was appreciated. Food donations had stopped by summer and I’ve not seen any since. But if resources are then being diverted away from food banks then obviously that should change. Throughout the pandemic I’ve been grateful that I’ve still been able to work and pay the bills. Others are not as fortunate.

www.tescoplc.com/updates/2019/donate-one-million-meals-to-frontline-nhs-workers/

inews.co.uk/news/health/influx-free-food-leads-nhs-staff-plea-give-local-food-bank-424279

www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/food-drink/food-delivery-drink-nhs-uk-donations-key-workers-coronavirus-a9445406.html

Trusses Trust we’re posting a few weeks ago that they were fully funded atm, which is fantastic, and were directing people to donate elsewhere. We found a local, independent church group, guess others think helping out lower paid NHS staff would be helpful.

I

Trussell

In the first lockdown we ended up asking (politely) people not to send stuff in. We were (and still are) incredibly grateful but we aren’t the ones in need.

At the beginning of the pandemic we had food gifted by big companies like Pizza Hut, kfc and Tesco’s which were greatly appreciated by staff but I’ve never heard of food parcel type donations by members of the public

I know a lot who took up food for breaks like sandwiches and cold pies, bottles of pop etc.
I can understand this, but groceries, no.

I think the OP has got it wrong. I can't see any reason why people on social media these days would be supporting dropping groceries off at the local hospital for NHS staff.
I get it that some companies might be virtue signalling by donating their own food.
I think this thread is with non-issue or there's another (less clear) motive for starting it.

I agree donations should be targeted to those who need them most. I recommend reading ‘Doing Good Better’ by William MacAskill - it’s about how to objectively do the most good when donating to charity.

I kind of agree, DH is a doctor and friend a nurse. Both work on covid wards and whilst it’s been lovely, both of them can easily afford pizza and Easter eggs (2 things they’ve received in the last week).

It’s very much appreciated though!

Thing is, charity is about choice not just ‘who is most in need’. So If people want to give to the NHS then they’re entitled to do that and should not be shamed into giving to a ‘needier cause’, you could argue that there will always be a needier cause. Why donate to food banks when there are children’s cancer charities desperately trying to save lives? Nobody has to give anything unless they want to so I’m not sure there is anything to be done.