Sanitary products in hospitals

A locked individual sheet contraption had to be installed in the surgery I worked in as the toilet rolls kept being nicked! Can imagine people taking handfuls of S.T.s if they were that freely available and probably not always those in need.

My WI have committed to supplying protection in some local schools. I bought 3 packs of Lidl’s for the price of one brand name pack.

Gynaecology ward in early 50s all patients got sanitary towels as required. Of course they did! How can it be decided whether or not a woman in any ward has a medical or a social need for sanitary towels?

There is no real separation of medical and social need. Every ward should stock basic nightshirts, pants, shrouds, operation socks (if they still use them) terry towels, pillow cases, sheets of several sorts, incontinence pads, spare blankets, and so on.
Some patients have no visitors to supply these basic linen cupboard things, and it is not right that nurses should have to pay for them.

^sodapop Mon 04-Mar-19 08:35:38
Yes Sparklefizz my husband has no problem shopping for sanitary products. I think he may struggle a bit if he had to discuss the pros and cons of different types.^

[grin} sodapop

I would have no patience with a man who was too embarrassed to buy tampons or towels for his partner or daughter.

An emergency supply would seem sensible, but dishing out ad lib would seem a silly. Apart from anything else, wouldn't most women prefer their own type/brand?

I can see there might be cases where a woman forgot to bring any, or it was an emergency admission - and she might not have any family or friends to buy and bring.
Not everyone has family or friends close enough to ask, or who'd be willing.

Different scenario but I'm reminded of when my aunt died in her care home, and staff asked us to,leave all her clothes, including old, faded nighties, etc., since they had residents with hardly any money and no relatives or friends to buy them anything.

My DH had no worries buying tampons or towels for me or our 2 DDs..

Both my father and my husband have bought san pro if they were the ones doing the "big shop" so long as they were shown the packet so knew which ones to get. I wouldnt send a man (or a woman) with vague instructions asking them to pick the right ones, but why wouldnt they buy them?

DH also bought what felt like endless amounts of maternity pads for me

My dear son-IL bought my DD some tampons in France from a corner shop - he does not speak French - I would have loved to have seen him demonstrating what they were!

There should be sanitary protection available in hospital if it is an unexpected situation. I was given a small plastic bag with a cheap toothbrush, paste, flannel when I found myself in hospital overnight as an emergency.

But if it is a planned admission, I think it is reasonable to bring in sanitary protection oneself; like the toorhbrush.

Yes Sparklefizz my husband has no problem shopping for sanitary products. I think he may struggle a bit if he had to discuss the pros and cons of different types.

Esspee (Imagine a man happily picking up Tampons in the supermarket)

Esspee, I brought up my son to do this.... why not? He knew the sizes my daughter and I used, and showed no embarrassment whatsoever. It's not the last century when periods were something to be ashamed of.

Many years ago, as a schoolboy and reading Shakespeare at school, he was the only one in his class who knew what a wet-nurse was, and not only explained it to the class but said that "his Mum had said that breastfeeding was best." I felt proud when his English teacher told me how unembarrassed he was to say this at an age when other children might be sniggering.

Bulky bein BULKY not kotex padded small pads.

There already are bulky incontinence pads. What people mean when they say "no SP" is no slimline pads or tampons.

Surely sanitary protection is on a par with toilet paper, paper knickers and incontinence pads and should be provided if needed when in hospital?

I can't imagine many women would deliberately only use hospital SP to avoid supplying their own, rather than being caught out, can't afford, or have no-one to fetch them. Sometimes you have to do things for the greater good rather than fuss about the few who would take the p*ss.

Most women have their favourite brands and wouldn't voluntarily wear those bulky Kotex towels that used to be supplied, or ill-fitting pull-up incontinence pants.

I can't believe some people on here - so mean and petty.

I heard that as men were supplied with razors and shaving foam, then it was only right for women to to have their needs met.

Generally incontinence pads will be offered to those caught short. Often refused as particularly younger women want tampons (not appropriate anyway when you are ill in hospital) or slimline pads.

So the basics ARE there, but people don't want the basic types of thicker pad.

Shaving foam, deoderant, hearing aid batteries, and shampoo and shower gel are often readily available on wards but I dont think people realise that its often the nurses and HCAs buying and bringing in those extras out of their own money.

Things like hair driers etc often come out of fund raising and ward donation pots etc not the wards NHS budget

While I agree they SHOULD be there for those who are caught short, the reality is that if they are routinely stocked, people who DO have the means to get their own brought in will take the freebies just because theyre free IYKWIM.

Razors were mentioned, yes razors are standard stock, but because they are used to apply ECGs and dressings etc to hairy areas where they wouldnt ordinarily stick. So they must be readily available on all wards so that ECGs can be done in emergencies, and as a result many visitors either don't bring in mens own razers because the hospital has them, or complain that the hospital razors don't give a good clean shave, which isnt what theyre there for!

Same for hospital transport on discharge, yes, it should be (and is) funded for those who have no family to collect or taxi/bus money, but many demand it just because they know it is there despite having both the money to get themselves home AND daily visitors coming in by car who suddenly couldnt possibly collect....

So how do you supply sanitary products to those genuinely caught short without people taking the p* ?

I have no idea at all of the price of sanitary protection these days. Showing my age.

I presume those who are horrified at the thought of free provision of sanitary protection all take their own toilet paper with them wherever they go.

Thinking about that, My daughter had to bring baby nappies when her babies were in hostpital. This was in 2012 and in 2015 grandsons in hospital just after they were born.

When my babies came in 1977 and 1979 the hospital provided them . You have to take your babies home in them anyway.

I agree that we should take our own protection into hospital, but that hospitals should have supplies for emergencies. I would also expect that there would be dispensers in the toilets, like in public loos for those times you’re caught out.

Of course in an emergency women should be provided with sanitary protection in hospital! Shaving foam and razors to men absolutely not. That’s a luxury.

And in my view sanitary protection should be free and available to every girl at school under 18!

I seem to remember Queen Charlotte's supplied such items when I was in there having my children, although I also have a hazy memory of my husband turning up with super absorbent ones as well. I think hospitals should keep a free of charge supply if they are required. I would also extend that to schools for pupils short of cash who need them, they are such a basic requirement.

The other big difference between men's shaving products and women's sanitary products is that the former are a luxury surely, the latter an essential. Would it really matter if men couldn't shave, or is there something I don't know...?