Community NHS Workers - do you get coats provided?

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

I have been working in the community for 5 months now. Base is at a hospital, but all patients are in their own homes.

The weather is now getting colder. It's not got above 8 degrees here all week.

Do you get coats provided? I and the rest of our team think that we should do, and that it should be covered as part of the health and safety assessment of community workers but at the moment our boss has said that we will not be getting them. We are trying to get hold of a full copy of the health and safety policy at the moment (our office only has a very old version).

Apart from the health and safety issue (surely coats are personal protective equipment for community staff?), the NHS dress code states that all staff uniform should,"provide a professional image to promote public confidence". I'm not sure that me turning up in my own choice of coat does this.

I'm interested to hear other people's experiences please.

I ama community nurse , we are not provided with coats but I know in the past they were. Lots of the nurses,OTs and Physios have fleeces that were provided in the recent past but it's no longer supplied.
I wear my own navy coat but don't have a cardigan.

I would rather have some knee pads supplied.

Just curious marriedinwhite, what clothing would you like to see on NHS staff? I always wore a uniform until about 2001 when the trend became to wear own clothes. The thinking behind this being that it made things easier for clients...that we'd look less intimidating etc.
Have to say I always wore trousers and comfy shoes to ensure I could work practically eg get on the floor with a woman in labour etc. I found this much more practical than a nurses uniform. I didn't get a clothing budget though so used to have work clothes that I didn't wear anywhere else. When you take into account the cost of laundering (and sometimes this would be laundering bloodstained clothing despite the oh so classy plastic aprons) it does have cost implications although for me it was part of what I signed up for.
I don't work at the moment as I am a full time Carer but if I went back then I would anticipate doing the same thing regarding clothes.

I am a Community Healthcare worker. No, I get a fetching blue uniform top/tunic and supply my own black trousers, black shoes & coat. Why do you need a special coat for work? Don't you take it off as soon as you get inside the house?

I had my first baby in 1994 (late 94) and own clothes had just been introduced for the midwifery staff. I saw midwives in jeans, deck shoes, T shirsts, very short skirts and one in full African dress and generally felt they were not presenting themselves professionally and I didn't feel comfortable with it. Practical trousers I wouldn't mind at all.

I had my last baby at a different hospital where the midwives wore uniform and I felt much more at ease. They were also less "right on" and were generally far more confidence inspiring and comforting.

Yeah, jeans etc is pushing it. I wore smartiah but practical trousers. The last hospital I worked in did away with the nurses dress and all midwives wore trousers and tops. Black shoes were regulation too, this was regulation in the community too.

Popumpkin See my post earlier, we are not always working with patients in their own homes, for example if somebody's goal is to regain their outdoor mobility, manage the steps to access their property or be able to transfer into their car then we often do work outdoors.

Excuse the rogue apostrophe