Sanitary products in hospitals

Some good points regarding parking. Things aren't always black and white.

I also missed your sarcasm Notanan.

I also missed your sarcasm.

Of course it could be a union issue - the physical safety of employees is part of what a union should be involved with.

I've missed that post somehow Notanan. Will look now.

Unfortunately not. It’s accepted as part of the job.

Its probably not a union thing because car parking decisions are rarely made in house. The car parks are usually run by external companies that her employer has no control over

Those starting or leaving a shift at hours like that should be given special consideration. Isn’t there a duty of care issue that her union could tsk even up?

My daughter is a nurse and often works a 16-02 shift. She has to park a good 15 minutes walk (and pay for the privelege) from the hospital which is not in the nicest of areas and therefore has to walk alone back to her car at 2am.
When I worked in an office job in a town centre the latest I had to walk back to my car was 7pm unless I went out after work which was of course my choice.
I am very glad my workplace now has a secure car park and I don’t have walk to my car dodging the drunks at silly o’clock in the morning, I just wish my daughter had the same safe place to park, after all she can’t use public transport.

Although I think visitors should pay a reasonable amount, I don't think hospital workers should pay anything.

Not all hospitals are in the city centre. Some are on the outskirts of towns - two or three that I can think of are.

Many workers have the choice to use public transport, although it may make a journey longer and more stressful if buses and trains are crowded.

People who work in hospitals often have to do shiftwork - if the transport system doesn't run later in the evening/night/early morning, they have no option but to use a car - and it is essential that they are at work on time.

Public transport isn't always reliable. If a retail assistant, an office worker or anyone not engaged in the emergency services is late for work, it is stressful and inconvenient but unlikely to risk the health and safety of people who are dependent on their presence.

It seems to me that it is probably fair and necessary to charge a reasonable amount to use a hospital car park. It should be possible to make an arrangement whereby people who need to visit over a prolonged period of time could pay a reduced rate, or pay nothing at all. What I think is unreasonable is the extortionate amount that some hospitals charge per hour.

I mean emergency rooms and operating theatres aren't stocking them so that people can look dapper are they?

Not sure what you mean notanan2. Men can cope without razors. Females can't without STs.

Men (and hairy women) would die without razers being readily available in emergency/critical/ward settings for reasons I have already posted.

Those razers may also get used for vanity reasons, but that is not why they are universally always in stock!

What matters for staff is that they can actually park - I would think that many hospitals do what my locals one do- a permit scheme that is paid for according to use. Do people really believe it should be free?

I won't be popular for saying this but I actually don't see why staff can't pay for parking. When I worked in the city centre I had to pay for parking ( and I didn't earn a lot ). The only carpark I could afford was a 15 minute walk from the office. Most people I know have to pay. However charging patients I feel is wrong.

Well it is going to happen - the article makes it clear. At my local hospital all staff and I mean all pay for a parking permit to use the staff car park.

It's one of those things that has gradually been discontinued with no one seemingly noticing.
If you are rushed in, as you often are, you really don't have time even to think of packing a bag, let alone sanitary products!
When I was in hospital with a bleeding stomach ulcer, I was actually given the option of wearing a hospital gown or my own nightie. I was also asked if I needed any other personal items. Even though my son brought in a toiletries bag for me, for the first few days, I was washed with their wipes that suds up when put in water - wish I hadn't because they are so drying that it took me weeks to get my facial skin back to normal !
I think that many female hospital wards will have the basics if you ask, but if it means that the CEO has to forgo the free parking, the ground floor and reception area of the hospital has to miss out on being tarted up every 3 years, while the ward curtains are nearly see -through, I can't see it happening!

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/03/03/hospitals-will-supply-free-tampons-sanitary-towels-inpatients/

This is the story behind the new policy being brought in. The BMA carried out research into the issue and found wide spread variations in practice between trusts. They discovered that in most trusts SP cannot easily be bought on site and as other posters have pointed out, women can be an emergency admission and not be prepared or stress/illness may affect a woman’s cycle. Hospital stays are in general very short these days and given the large number of postmenopausal patients, the cost of bringing fairness into this issue is tiny ( the article says £120k a year). Additionally what are the real costs of the wards selling SP ( cash handling etc) or as in the awful case upthread, a poor woman has to use toilet paper and then potentially bleeds on the ward floor, over her gown, sheets, blanket etc. Apart from the cleaning costs, the issue of dignity should be paramount.

As for charging for hospital food - hands up those who’ve had relatives in hospital and made a profit during their stay by not having to feed them?

Razers ARE necessary, but not for vanity reasons.

Not sure what you mean notanan2. Men can cope without razors. Females can't without STs.

Would be a waste of money time and lives to start charging for food. People wont heal/recover if they are skimping on their food to avoid a bill!

Razers ARE necessary, but not for vanity reasons.

Tampons should not be provided for inpatients for safety reasons

I am lucky I was able to buy my own when I was older. As a teenager it was a nightmare.
Sanitary products are essential for females. All should be supplied free and not bulky horrible ones. Say an average number per day for seven days. Any more needed perhaps they can then buy.
Razors are not essential. Sanitary towels are.
Food in hospital should only be contributed to if it is meanstested and meals are improved. Sorry if that offends anyone but some meals served are not appetising..

Men are not supplied with razors - I can't recall this ever happening in my fairly long career as a nurse. Men have always been expected to bring their own. Hospitals have some disposable razors in stock, but they are not for the male patients to use routinely.

Same with women's sanitary products - hospitals have a basic supply of pads but they are not anything special , just for emergencies . Most ladies bring their own - I certainly wouldn't expect a hospital to supply pads when I'm capable of bringing my own.

As a "Tena lady" I would sincerely hope that in an emergency admission to hospital there would be pads supplied. I always carry one or two spares with me but they are far too bulky to carry any more around.

My DH would never have consented to buying 'women's thingies' far too embarrassed. So much so that I had to buy condoms for him until I went on the pill. I knew that some of his mates used to swagger into Boots and buy quantities of condoms for sheer bravado. I also knew that they had no opportunity to actually use them

Anyone else forced in to buying their OH or Boyfriend's "protection"?

Yes, it's not unreasonable for such products to be made available in hospitals but I very much suspect that this will be yet another opportunity for manufacturers to cream money off the NHS for supply of products!

My OH doesn’t have a problem buying sanitary towels etc. Though as already said, he does need to be shown exactly what is required.