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To medical folk particularly those working in ITU and high dependency.

1K views 22 replies 7 participants last post by  Jackie C 
#1 ·
At our WI meeting this evening someone mentioned that there had been an item on Women’s Hour about staff working in ITU and similar departments. They interviewed a nurse who talked about the levels of exhaustion and how staff feel less appreciated then they had done during the first lockdown.

Are these feelings felt by you too?

What would help you?

Our WI would like to do something to help if we can. We thought about baking cakes, but suspect home made products wouldn’t be able to be accepted in these days of H&S and food safety. Which made us think of buying treats from somewhere to send in, is that something that is acceptable or possible to do? What sort of things would be liked? Is there something else we could do? We feel that a donation of money would somehow not get through to the troops if you see what I mean unless there is a particular way of doing it so that it does get through to the right people.

Our local hospital taking covid patients is the Goucester Royal and this is likely to be where we would direct our donation of whatever it ends up being. Do you know who would be the right person to contact regarding this?

Many thanks for any replies. I suspect once our WI gets the ball rolling with this other WI’s round the county will join in. You are all doing such a fantastic job and deserve much more then just our thanks
 
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#2 ·
I think that's a lovely thought @Siskin - personally I would try to contact the Matron in charge of ITU/Critical Care. You would be able to ring and ask for contact details. Or alternatively if you rang/emailed PALS at the hospital, they are normally very helpful (generally they are "feedback and complaints") and you could get Matron's email address that way.

Our very own ITU nurse @Jackie C may have some ideas on what would be appreciated on the ground, as it were.
 
#3 ·
What a lovely things do, I'm sure they would love something like that.



When I read the OP that's just what I was thinking, get in touch with the unit and ask what you can send and how you can send things in.
 
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#5 ·
At our WI meeting this evening someone mentioned that there had been an item on Women's Hour about staff working in ITU and similar departments. They interviewed a nurse who talked about the levels of exhaustion and how staff feel less appreciated then they had done during the first lockdown.

Are these feelings felt by you too?

What would help you?

Our WI would like to do something to help if we can. We thought about baking cakes, but suspect home made products wouldn't be able to be accepted in these days of H&S and food safety. Which made us think of buying treats from somewhere to send in, is that something that is acceptable or possible to do? What sort of things would be liked? Is there something else we could do? We feel that a donation of money would somehow not get through to the troops if you see what I mean unless there is a particular way of doing it so that it does get through to the right people.

Our local hospital taking covid patients is the Goucester Royal and this is likely to be where we would direct our donation of whatever it ends up being. Do you know who would be the right person to contact regarding this?

Many thanks for any replies. I suspect once our WI gets the ball rolling with this other WI's round the county will join in. You are all doing such a fantastic job and deserve much more then just our thanks
Thank you. Great idea! We don't get much any more and it is appreciated.

You are correct, money donations don't go to the troops any more. I can only speak for our trust (and I won't say who that is), but donations go to a big pot and we have to apply for things we want. You can specifically say you want it for "ICU" or "Critical Care", but it would just sit there. I wouldn't bother contacting the Matron's, they have no patient contact and are just managers, some are better than others. Some don't see to care for their staff. *cough*

Home-made products are actually very welcome!! Non-disposable medical surgical hats are nice for people in Covid areas, like this: https://amzn.to/2LMBdBh Anything with a nice fabric. The buttons are good for attaching masks to stop them rubbing ears. We had a nice donation of cloth bags to put our dirty uniforms in, so we don't have to touch them and just put them in the wash. Ear savers like this style: https://etsy.me/2N65StR are liked. Good quality hand-made cloth surgical masks are nice, as long as they are well made with nose-things in them and things to put a filter in. We can't use them at work, but we'd use them on our days off.
Beauty products are always good. Even just sample sizes. Ones that are good for irritated skin on the face. Also, hand creams. Any beauty products, TBH! Face washes, etc. They always go down very well!
Hand-baked foods, buns, baked goods are always welcome. Savoury foods are good. We've had local takeaways donate food in the past which is a nice treat, although this probably wouldn't be practical. Waxed cheeses. Baskets of fruit. Healthy snacks. Interesting teas, coffees, hot chocolates. Even stuff like sachets of cereal. A lovely Asian family brought us in a basket full of hand-made samosas which went down a treat!

With any beauty products (or anything for that matter), you would have to specify this was for ICU staff and you want it going directly to us, and not patients and not for the rest of the hospital. You could contact the Matron in Critical Care for that, as long as you specify this. We've had stuff donated that has gone to managers before now.
You can even ring the ward and say to the nurse in charge that you are from "X" organisation and are dropping something off. Although I would ring first as many places don't allow people to drop in and the rules for visitors changes all the time.
 
#8 · (Edited)
#6 ·
Thank you very much Jackie, it was you I was thinking of when I wrote this as I was pretty sure you would give me a comprehensive answer.
I’ll pass this on to my friend who is on our village WI committee and I’m sure it will be discussed straight away
 
#7 ·
Oh @Jackie C :( That makes me so sad. Our two Maternity matrons sit in their respective departments - outpatient is in an office in Antenatal Clinic and our in-patient matron has an office on Labour Ward. They are both easily accessible and still have lots of patient contact.

I'd say when we've been donated things in maternity, individual things are always appreciated. We've had tubes of diprobase cream, hand cream, linen bags. Fruit and savoury things are always appreciated rather than chocolates too, if your WI wanted to do something to eat. I would absolutely agree that if you do donate, do make sure it explicitly says it's for the ITU staff - and make contact with the matron so that the donation could be made on a day you know it's going to go to the department via her/him. If you have anyone who does crochet in your group, the ear savers are brilliant - and the one that @SusieRainbow made for me which goes around my ponytail is the best thing EVER! People always comment on it.

Hope you can sort something out with your group and the hospital Siskin.
 
#10 ·
Oh @Jackie C :( That makes me so sad. Our two Maternity matrons sit in their respective departments - outpatient is in an office in Antenatal Clinic and our in-patient matron has an office on Labour Ward. They are both easily accessible and still have lots of patient contact.
.
Our Matron is okay. Some, however, are not. Some aren't really people managers and seem to be more bothered about tick boxes.
 
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#9 ·
Those all sound like awesome ideas! I bet the ICU will really appreciate any kind thoughts and gifts.;)


(sadly I work nightshifts so I get to hear about any food or gifts that have been delivered to my ward during the day but I never actually see them!!LOL:Hilarious).
 
#13 ·
Maybe there's a case for a separate hamper for the Night Shift ;)
If we get a relatively big donation, someone will put some of it in the office for the night shift.
 
#14 ·
If we get a relatively big donation, someone will put some of it in the office for the night shift.
Thats good of you. TBH it doesnt bother me much...being a vegan I tend to find most things arent suitable anyways. (my xmas present from work this year was a selection box that I left in the breakroom as I couldnt eat it!:rolleyes:)
:D
 
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#15 ·
So the people that know you will know you're a vegan and got you something unsuitable? Well, that wasn't very thoughtful.
 
#16 ·
Just thought I would report back on this.
The secretary of our WI has just put a request out on the villages Nextdoor site for suitable items (as @Jackie C and @Mrs Funkin posted above) which will be put into a box and given to a member of the ITU staff at the Gloucester Royal.
My thanks to Jackie and Mrs Funkin for giving me a comprehensive lists of items that the staff would really like and who to contact at the hospital to make sure it went to the right people. I'm really pleased to to tell you that this initiative is happening so quickly.
 
#18 ·
I’ve passed this idea onto my SIL who has been volunteering for things to help during lockdown to see if she can get a similar thing going to the hospitals in her area (Bedfordshire).
 
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#19 ·
Brilliant! The staff will be so pleased.
We had quite a few freebies in the first wave, but don't get anything now. Okay, it's not about the freebies, but when you're exhausted and finally come for a break, and there are some kind gifts, it can make you smile.
 
#20 ·
All this went to the hospital today:D

From our WI secretary

Donations to GRH and Cheltenham ITU staff. We delivered a full carload of 8 big boxes of gifts to GRH today, it took two staff managers from ITU admin two trips with a large supermarket trolley to transport them. They were amazed and thrilled.
Thank you to everybody who donated, your kindness and generosity is really inspirational.
This is a photo of the loaded car before we set off!
Thank you all so very much.

Car Vehicle Motor vehicle Automotive design Trunk
 
#23 ·
All this went to the hospital today:D

From our WI secretary

Donations to GRH and Cheltenham ITU staff. We delivered a full carload of 8 big boxes of gifts to GRH today, it took two staff managers from ITU admin two trips with a large supermarket trolley to transport them. They were amazed and thrilled.
Thank you to everybody who donated, your kindness and generosity is really inspirational.
This is a photo of the loaded car before we set off!
Thank you all so very much.

View attachment 461862
That looks amazing! The staff will be really pleased. x Thank you.
 
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#22 ·
That's amazing :) Well done WI folk, how lovely for the staff.
Also from the village and the school mums, fantastic response though. I'm glad I asked on here as they used everyone's suggestions as to what to get, so thank you. I hope the staff thoroughly enjoy it all
 
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