Why are some NHS staff unkept looking?

[BoozySuzie]

I don't visit hospitals often thank goodness but I can't help but notice a lot of staff in hospitals are quite scruffy. Surely working in a hospital environment it is imperitive to be spotlessly clean and well groomed?? The Philipino nurses always look clean and tidy it's just our staff.

Anna8888, thanks for your concern, but my living conditions are more than acceptable, DH is a doctor, just incase you want to slot me into another pigeon hole?

And "customer", no they're not customers they are patients, argh!

Well said expat, my point exactly.

I'm an NHS manager and just wanted to say that the way the OP raised her question was rather insensitive. However, I do agree with her to some extent.

My DM was a nurse and never looked scruffy. Yes they are moving patients around, are splashed by bodily fluids but imho, it is no excuse to come to work looking like you have just rolled out of bed and some of them do I'm afraid.

The other issue I have is that some of them are obese. Despite the healthy eating campaign that we have in our trust, the healthy options in the canteen, you will see nurses grabbing high sugar, high fat snacks instead of healthy ones. Alternatively, when they go to the canteen, they are eating large portions of high calorific food instead of smaller portions of healthier food.

Why can't they buy the healthy sandwiches on offer or make a healthy meal that they can re-heat in the microwave?

I personally think that an obese person in the health service sends out the wrong messages and we should support them in adopting a healthier lifestyle.

Their appearance may not detract from how they do their job but it does affect how they are perceived by their customers, i.e. the patients.

At last someone that agrees with me and said it better than I did . Well said nhsmanager.

FGS They are NOT customers, they are patients. I don't think ooh, I fancy going to hospital today, which one has a special offer on?
Can I get a refund within 30 days?
I AM NOT A CUSTOMER, I AM A PATIENT
I don't care if the staff are obese and untidy and I percieve them as trained professionals, whatever their appearance.

boozysuzie - are you nhsmanager?

Thats what I thought meemar

No I am not nhsmanager but I am impressed she/he put it better than I did .

Why can't managers volunteer for pay cuts so the NHS can provide more services?

Surely, too, with their vast clinical experience, they can provide cover for nurses and other healthcare professionals - notice 'nhsmanager' left out doctors in her post - so they can take appropriate breaks to eat healthy food from the canteen?

Or offer coverage so staff get an adequate amount of time to go home and get at least 8 hours of sleep since, after all, studies have shown that sleep deprivation can cause weight gain?

Back when 'nhsmanager's mother was a nurse, there were more nurses and fewer managers.

Perhaps that was the difference.

Yes, it is rather strange that the OP left the thread for hours and hours, but was back within 5 minutes of 'nhsmanager's post.

When i was in labour with dd2 i asked for an epidural, in marched a bloke in a leather jacket with long scruffy hair , looked like they just dragged some random bloke in off the street to put a needle in my back.

lol at leather jacket and .

I left the thread last night because DD was crying so I had to settle her. I have been out all day and just logged on.

Oh and whoever posted that I expect nurses to look like the actresses in Holby or similar I can tell you this, I have never ever watched Holby or any hospital drama crap in all of my life - I despise them. So I guess I have no idea what these nurses look like.

Marne - maybe he had just gone off duty and been called back to do your epidural. Be happy he was still nearby!

Let me get this right, in the tiny amount of time we sometimes actually get to go home for, we are supposed to cook healthy meals from scratch in a quantity that feeds the family and reheats in the microwave. And iron our clothes. And in further pursuit of my healthy lifestyle, do 45 minutes aerobic exercise, imbibe no alcohol, undertake no dangerous sports, never put myself or my children in a moving vehicle... because we mustn't support an unhealthy lifestyle.

And be back on the day job at silly o'clock the following morning.

Do you live in the real world?

NHS manager, do you let your staff attend health clubs to lose weight in work time and do you pay for health clubs. If not why not if you think health staff should all be slim.

Do you legislate for decent staff to patient ratios to ensure your staff are not stressed out at work. If not, why not.

Do you cover staff for lunch breaks, pee breaks if there are not adequate staff on the ward. If not, why not.

Patients are customers because we, the NHS provide them with a service. It is our duty to ensure that they are treated in a safe environment, efficiently, effectively and with dignity. If we fall short of that, we are held to account.

I would also like to point out that many of the managers in the NHS are actually clinically trained and so have first hand knowledge of working at the operational level. They also work very hard and they have to ensure that the money we receive from the taxpayer is used efficiently to ensure that we deliver a productive service to our patients, the customer.

Don't forget, that our services are bought by the primary care trusts who take a strategic view of the services and resources needed for their areas. Like it or not, it is a market economy and the patients are customers but importantly, they are the most important node in the service delivery chain.

Unfortunately, for too long in in the NHS, too many clinicians, especially consultants and certain sections of nursing,especially midwives, have believed that the NHS centred around them. Well it does not. The patient is the focal point and clinicans as well as managers are there to deliver a service tthat meets their needs.

Part of that service means that we should ensure that we look presentable.

You do not need to attend a health club for exercise. Nurses are on their feet a lot anyway so they do get plenty of exercise. If they need more exercise, they can take the stairs instead of the lift.

The issue is one of diet. Eat smaller portions of healthy food and you won't be obese. Simple.

I agree 100% nhsmanager.

I think the majority of us customers would far rather they were well cared for, than cared for by someone with tidy hair and ironed clothes.

I don't care if my doctor or nurse is overweight. It's none of my business.

NHS manager, midwifery is not a section of nursing. Please do not show your ignorance.

Do you legislate for safe staffing levels in your hospital. Please answer my question.

Are you a trained clinician? Got yourself a cushier job did you.

The thing is meemar, I am not the only one that thinks this way - I know lots of people have made the same remarks as me.

Cheshirekitty, midwifery is not a section of nursing but they are often seen as nurses by their patients hence my descriptor.

Maybe suzie, but people often make comments about the superficial, it doesn't mean they have real issue with it the way you seem to.

You do have some slightly precious views about things that really don't matter.

e.g Why at leather jacket? Should NHS staff not even be allowed to choose what they wear outside!

We have safe staffing levels at our hospital.

Can I just point out that the vast majority of nurses and midwives do work very hard. However, some do not (as in all professions) and in my limited experiences, when problems arise, it is often down to someone not doing their job properly. Nurses are not blameless angels as some on here would have us believe.

Nurses, like all profession, have good workers and poor ones.

Absolutely agree with your last post nhsmanager.

I just don't believe that any of that has to do with their appearance.