Question for nurses or doctors or ANY healthcare professionals in hospitals

[Readysaltedcrisps1]

I spent over a week admitted to hospital and wanted to get the staff a thank you card and present for how kind they were when I was there. Would this be acceptable or seen as a bit weird to do this? For what it’s worth I was admitted urgently and had to get various procedures and everyone in the hospital (porters, surgeons, nurses, everyone!) were fantastic despite being under immense pressure with their jobs. Is there anything that’s particularly good to get as a present to say thank you? I was going to get something for both the ward and the surgical team, I thought maybe biscuits but wasn’t sure if there was maybe something nicer or preferable! Budget isn’t an issue I just wanted to get something genuinely nice but wasn’t sure what was best or if it was allowed with covid

TIA😀

Not weird at all. A thank you card is totally fine and so are biscuits, chocolates etc.

Have you thought about a really sincere and heartfelt card or letter? And an email to the most senior person in the department, praising people by name. That will last a lot longer and give better feelings than biscuits, nice as biscuits are.

As I understand it when this has come up before, donations of packaged treat foods are indeed acceptable and will be eaten, but a card talking about all the things you appreciated may well be kept and valued for years.

Biscuits/chocolates/fruit baskets are always gratefully received and usually kept at the nurses station/break room to share.

But, what is really appreciated is thoughtful thank you cards or notes, ideally with the individuals name on so they can use it as evidence for revalidation. Also, an email to the chef executive telling of you positive experience is really sore baited as they tend to only hear bad things.

Really please you had a positive experience, speedy recovery.

Tea bags are very much needed on wards.

The best thank you I ever got was a lovely letter via the chief exec. It was years ago and I still have it. But failing that chocolate always goes down well

Sorry I just realised I didn’t make it clear in my OP, I will absolutely be writing a letter and email with thanks to all the staff who helped me! The department was so busy and understaffed but they were seriously brilliant and deserve the praise for it! I was just going to add in a gift (chocolate, biscuits etc) as well as the email but I wasn’t sure what was the best gift for it

Cards, if you name names, do reach us eventually, and certainly if you name the ward will go to them. And they are really nice to receive and as said, help us all with revalidation. Agree tea or coffee, inc things like decaff, green tea also really appreciated.

I agree completely with this. Receiving a card with praise for doing your job really gives you such a boost.
We can use this in our revalidation as well.

How lovely that you had a good experience as we only ever here about the awful experiences on here which is sad.

Def cards for the nurses to use in revalidation. After that biscuits or chocolates. And don't forget the night staff x

A letter to the chief exec is a great idea, try to be specific about who you are praising. If you can’t remember names then name the wards or departments instead. Copy it to the ward and departments too.

And biscuits are always gratefully received!

any thing that is a quick grab boost like a biscuit/snack bar/can of fizz will be much appreciated….i lasted 2 years post qualification, never got a break apart from the occasional wee break on a shift, did endless 7 nights on/off and was thoroughly miserable by the end!

Agree with all above, especially the notes/cards for revalidation. Every ward and/or DN team I've been on have been most excited to get a box of pens (black ink only)! Usually from our lovely students, who have spent the last few weeks learning the ferocious nature with which a HCP will defend their pen! Maybe if you're thinking of a nice little package of tea, biccies etc. popping in a box of biro pens for the desk will always raise a smile too!

Different Trusts will have different rules, but at the moment due to Covid, we are unable to share around the much appreciated boxes of biscuits/chocs that our lovely patients give in the community. I think if they are individually wrapped with the main box, it's ok though. Again, think it varies from place to place, but just a thought.

a letter addressed to the ward manager and consultant with a copy to the chief executive. 🙂

Letters or cards are the best thing you can give HCPs. We use them as evidence if audited by the HCPC or nurses for re validation and they are just lovely anyway. It’s nice to be appreciated.

I’d really like to be able to thank the staff who helped me so they can use it in their appraisals but frustratingly I don’t remember their names as I was unwell, if I emailed the CE and provided the dates I was in hospital would they be able to work out the staff who helped me? If I did this would they still be able to use my thanks for their appraisals even without me remembering names?😀

It’s a really nice thought. Better still is to write a thank you to the staff via PALs or the chief exec, as more fuss gets made of it that way.

We love getting cards and chocolates/biscuits/cakes/food/tea/coffee etc you get the drift. It’s never expected but always well received and we have no restrictions anymore.

But you could email/write to the ward/hospital/pals too to thank staff too. Write the dates you were in hospital if you want to.

There is a website called careopinion where you can leave a review and some trusts are signed up and reply/read these too.

We love cards and also an email to PALs as this gets forwarded to management whereas cards often aren't seen by them!

With all the 'how shit are the nhs' and 'nhs is failing' posts last few days, this thread has made me quite emotional (not the shitty shift and then having some wine of course..!)
@Readysaltedcrisps1 absolutely lovely of you to think of the staff following your discharge.

As someone who works on a busy ward, I vote for decent coffee!! It would be well appreciated!

That's a really nice thing to do. I'm sure biscuits would be welcomed happily

I too was going to say decent coffee- even if just instant. Nescafe Gold for example is FAR better than the cheaper stuff you are 'lucky' to get on a ward!

When my dad finished his cancer treatment, on my suggestion having worked on a hospital ward as a HCA years ago and still remembering what a great gift we were given, he and mum got the ward staff where he had his chemo a massive basket of nice hand creams, bath salts and lip balms they could all pick and choose from, along with some nice biscuits and a card. The staff were really grateful and kept taking pictures of the basket all made up and packaged nicely by my mum.

Half decent coffee - L'Or Perhaps

• an assortment of the instant hot chocolate sachets ( Galaxy/Maltesers/white choc etc)

Treats!

This is so lovely op and will definitely be appreciated 🥰 cards with names on particularly, as not only is it lovely to have positive feedback and know that you’ve made a difference to someone’s experience, it they can be used for revalidation.
Any treat will be well received…I’ve found that cakes/pastries/fancy coffees and drinks always go down well.
wishing you a speedy recovery 💐