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.

It’s been impossible to buy scrubs, we’re still waiting for new supplies (London trust). We’re very grateful for anything really.

Best thing is probably to put out a request for what you actually need.

Our local wool shop is making the teddies in scrubs and mask for the children of key workers who aren't seeing their parents much at the moment - that's something that could be orchestrated via the local schools if you pointed them that way.

Our local hospital always gets loads of Easter egg donations though - one of the kids had a minor op about this time last year and got given a huge egg and one for her sister afterwards for being brave as they had loads left in the cupboard so I think that one's pretty much an annual thing.

Amazed anyone asking for freebies, our SM is vigorously monitored, this wouldn’t and shouldn’t be tolerated.
I've seen a lot of it on a lot of company sites to be fair with people trying to use the NHS as leverage for huge discounts for themselves (usually with a job description in their profile along the lines of "junior paper shuffler in accounts")

YANBU about the PPE. You can send the 300 Easter eggs to my team of you like, though

Thing is as NHS staff, I’m very aware that being key workers we are lucky in that we still have jobs and a full income coming in every month. So many people are facing pay cuts, redundancies, the closing down of their businesses etc,
So while I am hugely appreciative of the donations of food, toiletries etc, it makes me feel guilty because we are not the members of society who need these gifts right now, this stuff needs to be going to people who are struggling to pay for basic necessities because they are unable to work at the moment.

it makes me feel guilty because we are not the members of society who need these gifts right now

I have a friend who has said very similar, she's also embarrassed that some shops / supermarkets are offering additional discounts. As she has a steady income, and like you feels that others would benefit more from such benefits.

I think it's a little ungrateful to say we don't want things like Easter eggs. We've all appreciated everything and really, they can be given to kids coming through A&e, staff and family of staff - 300 Easter eggs wouldn't last long in any hospital.

Things like homemade face masks are unfortunate. We can't accept them for infection risk and also they don't work very well. I'd be very thankful for the gesture but we just can't accept them.

I get you. While some stuff is undoubtably useful, there is loads that isn’t. A local Facebook group is crotcheting masks for the local hospital. i doubt they are any use.
Please ask what they actually need, and to which specification

I work at Salford Royal, send 15 Easter eggs to the Phlebotomy dept there please, we didn't get any 😉

What about the boxes of fruit/veg/food delivered. Is that not needed anymore?

I’ve seen so many thing on SM about scrubs. Loads are being made and headbands for masks to be more comfy. Loads are being made by local people to a pattern allegedly from the NHS. Is this all for nothing? It’s not needed? Wow.

Thing is as NHS staff, I’m very aware that being key workers we are lucky in that we still have jobs and a full income coming in every month. So many people are facing pay cuts, redundancies, the closing down of their businesses etc,

I think though that other people are feeling guilty - when NHS are working long hours in tough conditions, and they are perhaps furloughed or not at work they want to do something (they perceive as) helpful or useful.
I am creative but hopeless at seeing- by the time I'd made a set of scrubs the pandemic will be over!! (But I can see why people are motivated to try and get involved - even if its misguided)

I know someone coordinating the making of scrubs from duvet covers - I’m honestly not sure who would use them but I can’t see someone in ITU working away wearing Dunelms finest.

Seeing = sewing (although I do wear glasses! 😂)

My DIL asked for face mask adapters so I crocheted 30 so that she could share them out on her ward. When I get more buttons I will do some more and DS2 can put some in A&E where he works too. I can't see how they will last long with the hot washing so they will need plenty.

The hospital, and others, had asked for hearts for Covid patients and their relatives so I did 40 pairs. They asked that we sealed them in plastic bags and dated them so they knew when they were last touched.

I've just watched Panorama and the Chief Executive of the hospital they were at said it had boosted the staff's morale to have been given Easter Eggs. It seems it differs greatly throughout the country.

I would have thought anyone with a modicum of common sense would find out out what, if anything, their local hospital is saying it needs so that donations could be targeted and helpful/co-ordinated. In some areas, there are groups co-ordinating donations, anyway. Easter eggs would not be top of my list of things to donate - whatever time of the day or night you went to the supermarket over Easter, there was never any shortage of Easter eggs. As for crocheted face masks... If I were a patient being tended to by someone in a crocheted face mask, I would have a massive panic that things had got that bad! Plenty of vulnerable people in the community who might appreciate them, though.

I have a friend that shares hundreds of posts with no thought to the relevance nor impact of what she is sharing.
She tagged me in a post about crocheting hearts for seriously ill patients and when I asked if our local hospital had requested them, she didn’t know.

That’s how these things come about, serial post sharers on Facebook with no critical thinking.

DD has made a load of fabric masks from that pattern Dobby
Unlike me, she has anxiety and depression and the meds to match, and doing something in the face of a pandemic has helped her cope.
So I’ll offer to deliver them, dump them somewhere secure and anonymous, and lie to her that they were gratefully received by the care homes she was making them for.
Our local hospital has been posting photos of the pizzas, veg boxes, drinks and masses of organic eggs etc they’ve had donated, with smiling staff.
If hospitals and NHS Heroes don’t want things from the general public, stop asking and post unambiguous messages on websites and Facebook/Instagram etc. Rather than images on the BBC website of staff wearing kagouls and bin liners.

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!

Easter eggs, toffees, hand cream all lovely gestures. BUT like many I just cannot understand how anyone thinks that a home made cotton mask will be used by a doctor nurse or anyone in health care OR a care home ( why should they have lower standard protection?) who are all dealing with a pandemic not seen for 100 years. Sew scrubs, make bags, all good, but PPE ? Just no.

• AuntyClockWise Mon 20-Apr-20 18:21:33 I was drafted in to help*

You were drafted in?

You were dealing with 300 Easter eggs not a 300 strong platoon of the best the SAS has to offer.

It has been made perfectly clear in all media reports that I have read that different hospitals around the country have different needs - some reporting they are running low on specific things, others saying not. I don’t think it is sensible to assume all hospitals need and therefore appreciate the same things.

People can get very emotional about crafting for good causes and messages get mixed or they end up with far too much.

We have a very well organised group making scrubs (clothes not PPE) and bags and they are very specific on fabric and quality. I'm staggered at the response, though, over 1000 sewing in a medium sized city. I do wonder if it will be impossible to put the brakes on!

The 3 care homes near us have no PPE, except gloves and the disposable aprons on a roll used in schools for home Ed.
Why are staff being shown wearing bin liners and using raincoat-type aprons on the national news? Cobbling together makeshift resources?
Or are the government right, there’s enough for everyone if only the staff weren’t so profligate and wasteful, and no additional support from the general public is required?

@HeffalumpsCantDance

My trust has not asked for anything. We’ve shared everything received that can be used and everyone is very grateful.
Seems no one likes the term nhs hero ...

@Abreadsandwich

I agree with you. It’s really uplifting to have the acknowledgement of the difficulties we are facing.

There is no expectation though.

I am part of a group which was set up 3 weeks ago, home sewers helping supply scrubs, hats and visors to our NHS and care workers.
We started with 300 volunteers and now have grown to 7600.
To date we have supplied 2000 sets of scrubs from the 10,000 requested all funded by public donations of £30,000 and local businesses donating fabric.