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.

@Tonz😂 if u don't agree with begging posts then you must have beef with Nhs staff 😂 I've heard it all now.

Tonz - you can only say it’s a hospital accepting things if these eggs are arriving in huge loads and being signed for by management - otherwise, it’s random donations being dropped off by people and reception staff not knowing how to deal with it without causing offence, which, as proven by this thread, is phenomenally easily taken. And if reporters went and interviewed a whole group of supermarket workers, are you really saying not a single one amongst them would complain about their working conditions, how stressed they felt, lack of PPE, the behaviour of customers, etc, etc - and if they did, the other staff standing behind them would tell them to shut up and stop whining on national television?

"Any crying videos need to be stopped, not just related to covid imo"

Why? People shouldn't be censored and definitely not NHS staff.

I didn’t really mean it - I should have just said I don’t like crying videos

Also I'm just pointing out nhs are the only profession who are asking for things therefore the only profession who are receiving them. Certainly don't have beef with them I think they do an amazing job actually but I'm fed up with the way people who donate are being made fun of when it's all over the TV and social media about how difficult NHS staff are finding it to get things so people help and it's turned on them for wanting Facebook likes. Don't accept what u don't want so that someone else who might need gets the chance. Like bus drivers who are also working long hours and dying

But if its just random donations why let the problem get as big as 300 eggs taking over 3 staff canteens.
I'm sure most retail staff would complain and say they are stressed and working in unfair conditions I don't believe I ever said otherwise

@walkaround I don't think anyone claimed other workers are not stressed or in need the point is it's only nhs staff who are doing it publicly. And no @Pomegranatepompom I have most definatly not got"beef" with nhs staff I think they are brilliant for what they are doing

Why? People shouldn't be censored and definitely not NHS staff.

Because most of them are pathetic. They aren't about work issues, they are for attention. If someone posted a video which was meaningful and happened to cry that would be different. Some of them are nauseating, and it's spread on social media to arguing on local FB groups and justifying whatever opinion they hold by 'i work for the NHS'.

There’s 7 days in a week, so you could focus on a different essential work group each day. Celebrate their efforts and read the wish lists.

Thursday NHS and clapping
Friday Transport workers and horns
Saturday Retail workers and bells
Sunday Careworkers and saucepans with spoons
Monday Teachers and whistles
Tuesday Police/Fire/Coastguard/Mountain rescue and flares.
Wednesday...

Everyone asking how the hospital let it get to 300 eggs, has no idea of the level of donations that are being received. People just turn up and dump palette load of product at our entrance. 300 could be from one donor on one day. stop fixating on it. It is out of control and needs to stop.

@Heffalumps

I’d like to do something. When able, I’ll take chocs to my local shop and my train station.

I’ve been doing stuff for the care home my mum’s in.

GroundedByBoris - absolute rubbish that only NHS workers are complaining publicly. I’ve read plenty about supermarket staff feeling harassed and abused. And besides, you don’t need someone crying on Facebook or on the news to engage your own critical thinking skills - there has been plenty of publicity about the number of bus drivers who have died, for example. You don’t actually need one of them crying about it to conclude they don’t have adequate protection.

Again, it probably will stop when the crying/begging videos and posts do. Just watched the news and saw more nhs staff died and while it is heartbreaking and should not be happening through lack of PPE still no mention of bus drivers who also do vital work and also have family's at home

@Walkaround I honestly 100% have not seen any retail worker crying on tv how they can't get food or Easter eggs for their kids or throwing a strop because flashing a badge doesn't entitle them to queue.jump b and ms to buy toys. I havnt saw any begging posts from them for sanitizer or hand cream. Of course I might read about them being stressed but it's really not the same thing. I don't mind nhs on the news talking about how hard and devastating their job is right now I couldn't do their job that's for sure.but to compare nurses asking for handouts then complaining when they get the m to a shopworker having a moan about stress long hours and abuse is ludicrous. It's not the same thing

I've read loads of local posts about supermarket staff, posties and bin men in particular.

It really isn't just NHS staff, who occasionally crack and post about their feelings on social media.

Everyone is allowed to have feelings, and I really don't think people having an extremely personal and emotional moment should be blamed for the fact that thousands of people have decided to 'help' in ways that aren't actually helpful.

This thread has rapidly become really nasty.

It's not about feelings though is it. Feelings are natural and nobody is complaining about people being upset. It's begging videos and posts that make people want to help and donate what is asked for then being ridiculed for doing it. It's not all about look at me look at me I'm helping the nurses loads of people genuinely care and want to give just because. No hidden agenda.

I guess it’s the having an “extremely personal and emotional moment” on camera and choosing to upload it to social media where it’s reasonable to expect people will respond in ways that are both helpful or not. If your extremely personal and emotional moment is shared with the world, it no longer remains personal - people will have a view and a response.

Also I'm just pointing out nhs are the only profession who are asking for things therefore the only profession who are receiving them

Except they aren’t, I’ve seen incredibly tasteless requests from a national U.K. charity asking for treats and gifts for staff and volunteers, in a way that feels highly inappropriate to me.

Just because they stuck it online doesn't mean they thought that way about it though.

Some people are very aware that social media is a kind of publishing that you need to be very measured and careful about it you don't want unintended consequences.

Others treat them like diaries.

If you are an individual both attitude are acceptable, and others viewing it should bear that in mind and not overreact to something that might not be a permanent expression of how something is, for everyone, everywhere. But a momentary snapshot of one persons life.

Spot on *@Jellycatspyjamas. Exactly right

@Ouchiebum agree - the amount of “donations” can be staggering - both in size, but also in how unsuitable they are. For any useful donation, charities tend to get 2-3 completely useless ones that need to be chucked/ given to somebody else.
I used to work for an animal charity, the mountains of unsuitable food, bedding etc sometimes found in front of doors in the morning were amazing. Same for every other charity i ever heard about - please ask before you donate (a palette of “ slightly damaged” easter eggs wouldn’t surprise me at all)

Surely as the eggs come in, they could of been taken to staff rooms or the childrens wards for children and the parents.

I really dont think 300 is that much if given out every day

If you are an individual both attitude are acceptable, and others viewing it should bear that in mind and not overreact to something that might not be a permanent expression of how something is, for everyone, everywhere.

These are grown adults, many with professional qualifications making complex ethical decisions every day, how ridiculous to suggest they couldn’t possibly know that people would respond to their personal emotional moment in a variety of ways. While folk, like the very distressed nurse, might have underestimated how far her video would be seen and the resultant public response, others having seen that can’t pretend to not be aware at least of the potential response.

I think it’s one thing being asked about a sensitive issue and becoming upset, it’s quite another if I chose to set my phone up to record me having a breakdown and then decide to share that in a public forum.

Problem solved with the 30 Olsen masks DD has made.
Based on today’s news, where our government is going against the world opinion that wearing masks is a useful way of restricting the spread of infection, and in light of them being useless as donations, we’re keeping them for the family.
Because so far government advice has been sluggish, vague and obscure on every aspect. So if they say ‘no masks’ then they’re probably an excellent idea.
Enough for us to have one a day each, and two left over.
At least I don’t have to secretly dump them.