To ask a question of NHS hospital staff re gifts?

[Redrosewoo]

I would really like to send a gift to the lovely staff who cared for my relative who passed away recently. If you work on a ward, what sort of gift would you appreciate? I was thinking along the lines of a hamper of nice toiletries. Face/foot masks, etc. I noticed an abundance of food gifts so would probably avoid those.

They have to declare gifts over a certain value -varies by trust-so a sharable food treat is usually the best way to go but a handwritten card would be appreciated by all.

Sorry for your loss

Sorry for your loss- and what a lovely gesture.

I think sweet/treats is just more practical and easier to share out. In a pamper hamper there's always a few big item more expensive things- and it can be awkward sharing stuff out. Also might be a little gender specific depending on the staff on the ward.

I once took in a Body shop Hamper full of mini toiletries that they could share out. I figured they had enough chocolates and biscuits.

I once sent in a supply of decent coffee and tea bags and loads of treat size bars of choc (tesco have giant size stuff at back of store) or miniatures of hand cream as hands take a battering with all the washing. Or if hospital has a COsta or equivalent a voucher for that.

Chocolate with us. A large tin of quality street always goes down well.

Food based gifts are perfect.

If there are particular members of staff you want to thank then a card with their name on and a message is really lovely and they can use it (anonymised - they would photocopy and blank out names) for their appraisal/portfolio.

Patients and relatives often give thank you cards and chocolates I've found

Yes, food gifts are a good one. The gifts have to be shareable with the rest of the staff, which can be about 15-20 staff.
Thank you cards are always nice to get also

I would also like to do this. Logistically, can I just order something online and give the ward details for delivery? Will it get there ok? The hospital is not close enough for us to drop by easily.

How about a big fruit basket? Different from chocolate and biscuits?

We did this in a hospice after they took such amazing care of a dear relative.

Although I think it went down especially well as it was rural and had no canteen or local shops so they could only snack from a vending machine.

Just a thought 😊

I gave a load of handcreams/face masks after my hubby had been in for a prolonged stay, could see they already had loads of food stuffs. Jars of decent coffee/nice teas, mugs also tend to go down well as hospital canteen stuff is usually rank!

Nice tea and coffee, chocolates, biscuits, maybe some fruit.
Chocolates always go down well! If you buy chocolates get 1 tin for day staff and 1 for the night staff. Where I use to work the night staff got upset if we ate all the chocolate in the day 😬

Chocolate, small smellies and pens go down well here!

Thank you all for the great suggestions, looking at Betty's. Nice gift baskets with vegan options too.

Definitely things like decent coffee and tea. The coffee we have is frankly rank so any decent drink is fought over. Coffee and tea often keep a ward running. Also sucky sweets are great, chocolate tends to melt everywhere.
Anything has to be declared , so anything that can be shared by the team is fair and appreciated.

Sweets
Good quality tea and coffee
Naice biscuits
Chocolate
Thank you card.

I had an operation during Covid lockdown, & afterwards I sent in enough hand creams for everyone (including masculine ones), plus individual cards for the nurses who'd been assigned to me.

Another time I sent in a box of food treats to be shared, & had the loveliest card back.

Walking through the hospital, I noticed that one department was keeping a score of the goodies they'd been given, on a notice board. I was surprised at the quantity!

Nice pens!!! Zebras or papermate. The kind with a clicky button so it can hook in a pocket or to a lanyard properly.

There always tends to be a lot of chocolates, so perhaps some nice shortbread biscuits or something a bit different.

Pens, hand cream anything really. Like others have said a card with our name on it means more than anything else if there is someone who stuck out, nurses can use these for revalidation. It's lovely that you want to do something, just remember it isn't needed.