People need to stop knitting and donating chocolate etc our hospital!

[AuntyClockWise]

I was drafted in to help nursing staff today sort through 300 (yes, really) Easter eggs that have been donated over the past few weeks and sort these for food banks and care homes and childcare hubs. Took half a day plus lots of storage space.

A lady turned up at the hospital with 30 home made/sewn face masks. She was very angry when the main desk had to turn her away and decline the items as apparently she'd spent ages on them and had travelled a long way to get them to the hospital. Again, more time spent dealing with this person and not to mention the fact she had travelled unnecessarily.

Where has this idea come from for people to donate so much stuff to hospitals? Don't people realise that PPE has to meet a certain level of safety standard so we need to get from reliable and tested companies? Do people think that we have the space and time to deal with all the food and drinks donated?

Our hospital has put out a facebook post today to reiterate we can't accept donations like these and there are now hundreds of angry responses calling us ungrateful and that they're annoyed this wasn't said sooner as they've spent weeks knitting and sewing various things for the nurses and doctors to use on the wards.

I'm sure people are trying to be nice but why isn't common sense prevailing? Why not donate time and energy to a place which has the resources and ability to accept such donations?

Of course, I'm only able to speak for common feelings shared today in my place of work. Some other people here might say they are loving the donations.

Just wanted to suggest on here that if you are considering donating something to your local hospital, I'd suggest phoning the main desk first or sending them an email as the likelihood is that they can't accept it.

Might be beneficial to have a list of places that may accept non medical grade PPE and post that or to tell people who call. Also the hospital PR department should possibly contact the press to get the message out.

Does this apply to everything like, for example, the 10% discount one supermarket is offering to NHS staff?

I wouldn't have thought 300 Easter eggs is that many for a hospital. How many staff do you have? Can't you put them in boxes by entrances/exits and put a sign saying "Please help yourself with love and thanks from the general public".

People have given specifically because they thought they were being helpful to NHS staff who, anecdotally, we have heard had no time to go to supermarkets.

I totally get where you’re coming from. Wait to be told what is needed, or you are wasting both yours and the hospital’s time and effort.

I've seen loads of things on facebook where Nurses appear to be asking for things. There was a post today asking for people to sew scrubs for our local hospital's ITU staff. Also community nurses asking for lunch to be delivered because their usual lunchtime places weren't open etc. This then followed with pictures of loads of food delivered by a local take away. I think maybe it's all got a bit out of hand.

I saw a hospital put a notice up saying that whilst they appreciate peoples' generosity, they have enough chocolate now and they would people to take any further donations to the food bank.

The food bank have put a notice up saying that whilst people always appreciate chocolate, tins of soup and beans would be more useful at the moment.

I think people just want to do something to help (hence the 750k NHS volunteers). Clapping on a Thursday night doesn't really feel enough.

I wouldn't have thought 300 Easter eggs is that many for a hospital. How many staff do you have? Can't you put them in boxes by entrances/exits and put a sign saying "Please help yourself with love and thanks from the general public".

Where do you store 300 Easter eggs?
Who is in charge of accepting and sorting them?
What about when someone who has donated sees them just out for anyone to pick up and posts an angry social media post about the ungrateful staff?

Where has this idea come from for people to donate so much stuff to hospitals?
From NHS staff saying they can't get into supermarkets before or after shifts?

Don't people realise that PPE has to meet a certain level of safety standard so we need to get from reliable and tested companies?
No, some lesser educated people may not realise this. They just see it as trying to help.

Do people think that we have the space and time to deal with all the food and drinks donated?
Some hospitals have nursing staff who aren't doing anything because their wards have closed down and they haven't been re-deployed elsewhere.

I'm sure some crafters were making hearts for hospitals and those face mask holder straps. Hospitals seemed to want these?

I've seen loads of things on facebook where Nurses appear to be asking for things. There was a post today asking for people to sew scrubs for our local hospital's ITU staff.

This is also true though. It must be very confusing for the general public.

The eggs could have been put in a box or laid out on a table in the staff restaurant so staff could take one. Why werent they given out at the time instead of being allowed to build up to 300. The masks could have been used by staff when they go shopping. What has been knitted? When you say you have been drafted in to help. In what capacity?

Some NHS trusts are asking for donations though. Ours asked local schools for lab coats and science goggles... sure they don't pass PPE tests.

My understanding was that the home made PPE was for HCP outside if hospital to use - Care homes, GP surgeries, carers, ambulance staff.

That then frees medical grade PPE for hospital use.

Hospitals might not be able to accept non standard PPE but on my local Facebook pages care homes always snap up any offers of homemade stuff. Could you direct things there?

My DH works in a hospital. He was delighted to be given an Easter egg!!

Wow, how horrible of someone to have recieved mixed messages about shortages of PPE and face masks you can make and spent ages making some. And the audacity of people to donate Easter eggs, disgraceful. Or similarly they could just do what the hospital here as done, right at the start they asked if people wanted to help if they could donate so that it could be spent where needed, and donations limited to certain things like hand creams. Easter eggs were just left in communal areas and people could take one (or however many) or donate them. People are doing it because the media is showing hospitals as being war zones, and the angels working there as not having time to eat or go shopping.

Here they are asking for scrubs, hair bands, washable bags for uniforms etc. I get that chocolate isn't healthy but 300 isn't many for a whole hospital

We had a lot of food donated, we’ve been redistributing some to charities and other hospitals. Some staff have kindly volunteered to drive the supplies in their own cars. People are being very kind. I expect it will only continue for a few more weeks.
Tbh it has really perked my team up - so lovely people are thinking of us.

We’re trying to make sure nothing is wasted.
We haven’t had any masks made, but we’ve had quite a few scrub bags which are really useful.

Just to reply to a pp - all clinical staff have been redeployed. We definitely don’t have any clinical staff with nothing to do. It’s very busy and stressful.

Some admin are WFH.

YABVU - and more than a little rude and ungrateful

Like other posters have said lots of sob stories on social media of what nurses and doctors are short of - people think they are helping - how are they to know? If I were you I'd gratefully accept them thank people profusely for the time and effort and thought that has gone into their donation and then quietly donate it - why come on here then moaning about it?

Easter eggs I can understand. It’s annoying for you that it takes time and staff to sort them though and I can see how they’d like up to 309 quickly.

Homemade face masks - I think people should have used their common sense. Homemade scrubs makes sense - a nurses skin isn’t a mucus membrane and I’m guessing it just needs to be something sanitary that they can work in and wash at the end of a shift. A mask to cover their nose and mouth when face to face with Covid-19 patients however? I’d have thought the public had more sense than that! Of course it needs to be medical grade! Otherwise there wouldn’t be a shortage because they could just shove any old bandana on....

The suggestion that they could be worn when off site and at supermarkets is a good one!

Poor woman who got turned away with her 30 hand-made masks - I hope nearby care homes/residential homes were grateful for them.

We've been given hand-made scrubs bags (very gratefully received), and lots of Easter eggs were donated over Easter weekend. No donation was refused, we wouldn't be so ungrateful. If we can't use it, we will pass it on to community carers.

Build up to 300*

I do see your predicament. I’ve been sent lots of ideas of things to make on Facebook because I’m quite crafty, but the professional in me says that there are nowhere near enough details (such as what would be appropriate material) and there are definite quality issues in what I’ve seen. Plus my mate who is a nurse at the local hospital says it’s really quiet and they aren’t short of anything! It’s a lovely idea but I think it needs far more thought and probably a centralised approach unfortunately, otherwise you’re just creating more problems for people who are already busy enough.

People are being very kind. I expect it will only continue for a few more weeks.

Yep, sadly that's the truth. Probably a good job if everyone is as ungrateful and smarmy about donations.

Wow, how horrible of someone to have recieved mixed messages about shortages of PPE and face masks you can make and spent ages making some. And the audacity of people to donate Easter eggs, disgraceful. Or similarly they could just do what the hospital here as done, right at the start they asked if people wanted to help if they could donate so that it could be spent where needed, and donations limited to certain things like hand creams. Easter eggs were just left in communal areas and people could take one (or however many) or donate them. People are doing it because the media is showing hospitals as being war zones, and the angels working there as not having time to eat or go shopping

This ^^^