To think staff in a hospital coffee shop should have their own priority queue?

[Thorilicious]

Just getting a coffee while visiting a relative in hospital. A few of the people in the queue are paramedics, nurses. I think they should have their own queue, so that they can be served first, so they aren't wasting their break queuing.
(I would have let them in front of me, but the queue only built up once I had paid.)

I am a nurse and we have a similar problem. Also at the weekend big restaurant is only open in the morning and coffee shop only sells limited food. The majority of us bring in our own food because of this.

It wasn't always like this tho

Absolutely. They should have their own canteen entirely, tbh.

Eh?

What’s all this about visitors being pushed for time to grab a coffee before an appointment? If you’re running late you don’t stop for a non essential drink and surely you wouldn’t take a hot drink into an appointment or carry it around a busy hospital?some people don’t want to believe that their not number 1 priority! Very rare to find a staff canteen these days, they’ve been got rid of, as have staff rooms and basic amenities like a fridge and kettle. If those things are in place then no there doesn’t need to be priority at coffee shops. But if those things don’t exist then I think the person with a 30 minute break from a 12 hour shift should be given priority at lunch and break times

I live a few minutes walk from a local hospital - in fact I've spent most of my life living in cities a few minutes walk from a hospital.

YABU as it wouldn't work.

Around me staff and other emergency service staff - apart from fire fighters - use any local shop/cafe. This is because the shops/cafes off hospital premises and 2-5 minutes walk away are cheaper than those on hospital premises.

It's normal to see staff who work in hospitals get a hot drink on the way to work using the indie coffee shops and local supermarkets.

Though to be fair my relations and friends who work in hospitals bring their own food in. Their food is mostly snacks and canned drinks as that's what they calculate they have time to grab and eat if they get a break during their shift.

I do think that staff should have kettles or coffee machines for their use, so that they can get a drink quickly if they need one. DP is a doctor and takes a little cafetiere to work to avoid the queues.

I don't think that staff should take priority in the queue because everyone there is only at the hospital because they have to be. There are so many reasons different people could argue that they should take priority: staff on break, outpatient with appointment soon, parent doesn't want to leave sick child too long, patient can't stand for too long, etc. It's much easier for everyone to just stand in line.

Agree but might be hard to do seeing as most coffee shops in hospitals seem to be minimally staffed by WRVS or similar.

Nurses may get time to queue and sit and eat in the restaurant, not at peak lunchtime though or on sundays as many visitors use it for their weekend roast so theres often very little left. The doctors grab a coffee then take it back to the wards to drink while they carry on working. At night the only drinks the doctors get on my ward are the ones the nurses make for them if they can ,and a couple of ward stock digestives that might be the reason 2 have fainted in the past.

I think you need to go back to bed & get out the other side!

@Thorilicious yes, something needs to be done, a separate canteen I think though! As another poster said, having a priority queue isn't necessarily the answer.

I always let the staff in front of me, but then I feel guilty because I've also then let them in front of the queue behind me.

What’s all this about visitors being pushed for time to grab a coffee before an appointment? If you’re running late you don’t stop for a non essential drink and surely you wouldn’t take a hot drink into an appointment or carry it around a busy hospital?some people don’t want to believe that their not number 1 priority!

I go every three months for painkilling injections, which themselves are excruciating! As I feel like I’m in a state of shock afterwards, I prefer to get a coffee and sit down, before driving home. Likewise, I imagine patients or relatives, who have just had bad news, are also in a state of shock.

I don’t know. No one goes to a hospital cafe for fun. The only people there for a nice reason are visiting new babies. Many other people in that queue are unwell or very stressed or having the worst day of their life. Or all of the above.

In an ideal world no one would have to stand in long queues at a hospital cafe.

And to the person who was suggesting stopping any existing food services for staff, isn’t one of the major issues staffing shortages? And don’t you think good patient care relies on looking after the staff you have?

It is quite depressing though seeing a member of the kitchen staff wheeling a trolley packed with sandwiches, biscuits, cake, bottled water and hot drink flasks into a Board meeting or to the CEO office.

No staff canteen at my hospital. No priority queue. We only get a 30 minute break in a10 hour shift, if we’re lucky. As it’s on the other side of the hospital, I don’t bother, by the time I get there, and queue, it’s time to come back. Food’s excellent, reasonable prices, but unless you have plenty of time, not really an option.

I know it’s completely different but in my school, staff are allowed to go ahead of the students.
So the students will line up and be allowed in the canteen area in 3s but the staff can just walk straight past and go straight on in.

I think all places of work should be like this and I’m shocked that this doesn’t happen in a hospital setting.
Even in the staff are not on duty and getting their full breaks then it’s not fair they should spend half of their time in a queue.

There is a staff canteen in my hospital, patients and visitors can use it on the understanding that they let staff cut in in front of them.

Why would I when 2 minutes walk outside two of my local hospital entrances are coffee shops/supermarkets/shops?

These are nearer than walking to the entrance where the hospital Costa/ and whatever named shop are that have more limited opening hours.

It’s sad to see how many people just assume NHS staff are well catered for behind the scenes in hospitals - it’s simply not the case! It was a massive issue during Covid too when staff were working crazy hours and there were no food outlets for them 😢

The hospital I worked in, had no staff canteen, the shops usually close at 4pm and don't open on Sunday, the vending machines only take cash and spit out most notes.

TBH, our nearest coffee shop is 10 minute, usually the walk consists of directing people who are lost or telling them where the parking machine is by the time I've got to the shop the queue is nice relaxing time and usally I'll have multiple orders.

Plus you never know what hell the person in front is going through.

Do you mean the staff have to pay for parking at their place of work? That's outrageous.

Yes we have to pay! I pay almost £30 a month for the pleasure of parking at my hospital. There’s also a two year waiting list for a permit so until then you have to pay the £10 a day to park for a 12 hour shift or find a driveway to rent.

That's appalling

I've never worked in a hospital with a staff only canteen. Also we don't get a discount!

Seems a reasonable thing to have provided clearly signposted. The only thing that I see as a drawback is that there will still be people who are either so inconsiderate or having a bad day that they will be abusive to those who work at the coffee shop, which in some hospitals are volunteers.

Depends whether there are enough staff behind the counter to bob from one lot of customers to another.

I worked in hospitals 25 years ago and there were some staff canteens but there were not ubiquitous. I couldn't be arsed with queuing...most wards back then had a kettle and a fridge so I'd bring in my own drinks, or use a thermos. Same with food...found I was wasting precious break time going to the canteen queuing and eating, so I'd bring in my own food and have an extra 15 minutes to myself. It's a habit I've kept. I'm still in the public sector but working for a local authority and I still take in my own food and drink to save time (and money).

This may be a silly question and I don't mean to undermine the lunacys of there being no staff catering facilities for NHS staff, but seriously don't they take a flask with them and a pack-up?

If it were up to me I'd reintroduce the tea trolley with sandwiches and cake for staff. It would also provide a job for someone.