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.

Still people on this thread are generalising what one trust has posted to all NHS hospitals.

I'm not saying stop donating to all hospitals. I'm saying people need to stop donating to ours. We've never once requested donations yet have been inundated. Clearly there are some hospital out there who are accepting these donations. It is up to the general public to put effort into finding out which hospital does and doesn't want their donations instead of assuming every hospital will happily take their items.

We had to turn the lady away today namely because she disregarded all of the enormous signs at the entrance saying do not enter without prior appointment etc and that visiting was suspended. I'm sure the main desk staff weren't rude and gently declined her masks and made suggestions of other places to contact about taking them.

Lots of people on here are still generalising and now saying that no one will want their items just because i said our hospital doesn't.

All i'm suggesting is to contact your hospital in some way and ask about anything they want or need before spending ages making/buying stuff and then flouting rules by turning up with stuff not needed. And the main desk staff at our hospital have expressed they'd prefer to deal with dozens of general enquiries today than turn away uninvited visitors and donations. Again, it's up to the general public to decide the best way to contact their hospital to make this enquiry. Social media, email, phone etc.

Ours is a small hospital and the Easter eggs completely took over three staff rooms on different wards making it difficult to get into fridges, microwaves etc for staff to get their lunches and breaks.

I’m sorry - but I just cannot believe any tolerably competent person can’t find homes for Easter eggs in a hospital

Damn those giving the eggs

@HeffalumpsCantDance why would you dump them? Even if the hospitals can't use them, the general public could!

I've seen a pattern and video circulating from an American hospital, asking people to make facemasks with a pocket for a filter inside (Olsen mask). Even pure cotton filters 50%.

Well, @AuntyClockWise - with your attitude, I’m sure your hospital won’t be overrun With donations In Due course

I agree, other than in the case of scrubs people are making. I'm due to start at one of the Nightingales this week as a nurse, I come from operating theatres so don't have uniform (we have scrubs we change into there and they go into hospital laundry for obvious reasons)

Told there would be scrubs available, informed today there is none as there is such a shortage. Cue a one and a half hour round trip to buy some from the one place I could track some down (and it was the last of their stock)

So yes, chocolate no, uniform, yes

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.

Someone else could though. I had to take DS2 to A&E on Sunday and the receptionists, who are normally in black trousers and a white shirt, were wearing scrub style outfits (though not actual scrubs before Matt Hancock accuses them of wasting kit - one was pokemon and the other Peppa Pig). It was the first time I'd thought about them probably wanting to change before dealing with everyone coming through the front door similar to other staff and those scrub style outfits will be easier washed than white shirts and black trousers

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

Because a lot of care homes have absolutely nothing. All our local ones are using homemade cotton masks made by the public as they literally have nothing else.

They're actively asking for people to make masks because it's the only protection they have.

@TheClootieDumplin

"drafted in" is a common phrase which means bringing someone somewhere in order to achieve a purpose. It's not military specific terminology. I'm not sure why you bothered posting just to try and embarrass me?

"I was asked to come in today on my day off in order to help nursing staff sort out their Easter Egg donations" - does that rephrasing make any difference to the purpose of my original post?

Aridane I would happily set up a support group to take unwanted, rejected Easter eggs into my home. DS and I would take care of them.

Why not post about the homemade masks on a local Facebook group? Make it clear that it is not medical grade, and strict social distancing and everything else still needs to be adhered to, but I am sure some vulnerable people who are still having to do their shopping will be grateful, even if it only offers a tiny bit of protection. Care homes shouldn't have less protection, but the sad truth is that many have nothing, and can't get hold of any either, it's criminal really.

My friend said she's going to start knitting little hearts for nurses at her local hospital to show her appreciation. Although I thought it was a nice gesture I did wonder how welcome these little woollen hearts would be. Would an exhausted nurse really want one? I'd rather they just got a decent pay rise.

Homemade PPE is not something we’re accepting at our hospital. However donated PPE from schools/businesses who aren’t using them are absolutely fab and appreciated.

Chocolate is definitely something we’ve all enjoyed! We had tons of Easter eggs donated, they were put in the canteen and each department ordered so many, my departments quite big we had 150, none left. All staff got one and anything left over we give to patients who are alone in hospital or colleagues who we know are struggling.

We all appreciate all the donations, they all come from a good place, though I can imagine that it could be a nightmare sorting through it all!

My local hospital has an Amazon wish list with snacks, puzzles, toys, colouring books, toiletries etc on it, so that both staff and patients can receive what they need safely and in useful quantities. Anyone who wants to help could see if there’s something like this available and share the hell out of it to make sure they get what they actually need.

We've loved our treats. We've had some lovely Easter eggs recently and some lovely cakes. But we have started wondering if the food may be better donated to people who've currently got no income and are struggling to buy food. At the end of the day we're not short of work so most of us can happily afford our own food. And to be honest I think the staff who are doing so many shifts they haven't got time to go to the shops once a week are in a small minority. Most of us are sensible enough to realise we still need rest days or at least have time to pop to the shops between shifts.

As much as we like the treats though, we can't accept donations of random facemasks etc as they aren't up to medical standards, although we appreciate the sentiment.

OP have you said which your hospital is? I’ve missed it if you have. How are people suppose to not generalise, it’s an open forum and we don’t all no which your hospital is. I follow the social media for a few neonatal/children wards at 2 hospitals (that my DD spent time on) and all showed lots of pictures of greatful staff with lots of Easter eggs thanking people so I’m glad to see lots were well received. I havnt donated anything personally but it’s lifting moral for lots of NHS staff having things donated, people are just trying to do something nice. It’s a real shame people arnt listening if they hospital is making it clear in advance but it’s not like people are doing it to ruin your day. You ask were people have come up with this idea from to donate stuff, it’s partly from NHS asking or gratefully receiving stuff.

BeijingBikini the double layer with space for a disposable filter is the type of mask DD made.
I don’t care what happens to them, I just don’t want her to be distressed that her efforts were pointless and stupid. She’s bought into the clapping and the vocabulary and all the shibboleths, and anything that stopped her spiralling into deep depression was worth it.

Some unbelievably childish throwing of toys out of pram reactions on here. So - one hospital doesn’t need your donations. Other hospitals do. Learn to check in advance in future if you genuinely want to be helpful rather than just wanting to feel good about yourself and have something to do.

I know that some gypsy families have been donating to the staff canteen, but prearranged and all sealed food, they buy it and donate it.
Then they nominate family members to do the same.
A 12 year old girl has also raised 25k for the NHS with a challenge rock, paper, scissors, the loser gets a pie in the face.
You'll not stop the gypsies donating, they take this seriously as their duty.
But, in fairness it's not good trying to gain access to hospitals at the best of time. We are supposed to be distancing, not making extra work for the staff.
I thought this was one of the reasons they asked for volunteers.

Well, with your attitude, I’m sure your hospital won’t be overrun With donations In Due course

As a tax payer, were you happy today that you were funding 3 nursing staff and a HCP to spend 4 hours sorting out chocolate when there were buzzers going off on wards because patients needed attended to and the hospital is already short staffed? This was seen as a priority job for us as staff were unable to take their breaks/make their lunches and someone had questioned fire hazards due to space and infection control issues.

As a member of the general public, were you happy today that a stranger flouted current lockdown rules and entered a hospital building, ignoring all the signs telling her not to, and made unnecessary contact with reception staff who would later be in contact with patients attending appointments and staff who will be attending to sick patients?

You really think that continuing to accept these donations just to spare some people's feelings is sustainable and a good use of time and money?

3 nursing staff and a HCP to spend 4 hours sorting out chocolate when there were buzzers going off on wards because patients needed attended to and the hospital is already short staffed

If your hospital didn't have room for the eggs, and didn't want them, why not refuse them in the same way the masks were refused. If it was 300 eggs then I doubt it was a random person who donated them, so why not tell the business / company to gift them somewhere else?

If only folks listened to the OP rather than behaving like the folks who turned up with this stuff in the first place.

Some Years ago y DD was in hospital over easter. She got 2 eggs and a toy. Even then it seemed they had been given too many eggs because a child2 or under doesn,t really need 2 eggs.

Don't dump them @HeffalumpsCantDance, lots of care homes are accepting home made masks as they have literally nothing else! Just ring before you go to see if they want them

Honestly I’m genuinely confused. In my village we have a team of home sewers making scrubs, headbands, scrub caps and more. They said they’ve teamed up with the local hospital trust and they are desperate for these items.

So is this all a SM farce?

If only folks listened to the OP

OP is speaking about one hospital out of thousands. Lots of other people are donating stuff which is gratefully received and of use.