Sanitary products in hospitals

Sadly, some people are so poor that they have to rely on others. That, in my opinion, is a disgrace in a developed country.

Some hospital stays are longer than others, and when admited you don't always know how long you will be there. If you are confined to bed, how do you buy sanitary protection?

Here in Denmark, sanitary towels have always been provided in ward bathrooms, as are nightclothes, vests, underpants and dressing gowns.

But I agree, why are sanitary towels and tampons so expensive, every woman between approximately 12 and 50 needs them.

EllanVannin - yes, Continence Clinics and Community Nurses can arrange for delivery of free pads to those who need them.

I personally think if somebody is "caught short" they should be provided but not routinely.

Why would you need the hospital to supply them?

At a GP visit, my daughter was told to go immediately for an x-ray. She was then taken by taxi to another hospital, without being allowed to go home first.
She had to stay there for 3 days while she was treated.
Clearly, the treatment was needed. There's no problem about that.

Her period started on the last day she was there. Nurses said they had nothing they could give her, and there was nowhere to buy anything.
She made do with toilet paper, which is not advisable because of risk of infection.
(She also had no clean knickers )

At the very least, basic items should be available for hospital patients to buy.

There will often be people who have to go into hospital unexpectedly or have to stay longer than expected. Not everyone has family who can bring things in. Not everyone can afford what most of us consider necessities.
I think it is generally a good thing that hospitals can now supply sanitary protection free if required.

Elrel, I was wondering if the same could be done for those in dire need of sanitary products too. I'm sure that GP surgeries would have lists of those who'd be eligible.

What about schools ?

Yes these products should definitely be available in schools EllanVannin I'm sure there are families who need help and this would be one way of doing it.

Sanitary wear is available free in Scottish schools and universities and a lot of civic buildings ,Period poverty affects girls and women of all ages and in many cases interferes with schooling .Some shops offer to give a pack to the local foodbank for every pack bought .Homeless charities appeal for sanitary wear and things like deodorant and cheap knickers for women who live rough and cant wash stuff. You would hate to be in that situation yourself so why would you let others live like that ?

Luckily I've never needed them in hospital recently but when baby number 1 was born everything was not only provided for him but he was dressed and nappied by the nurses in the nursery.
Fast forward 10 years to baby #4 . Nothing was automatically provided and I was expected to be up changing nappies from the first one.
I think to give sanitary pads and incontinence pads in hospitals is a civilised provision.
No one would force you to use them but they'd be available.

What worries me is what the NHS will be paying the sanitary products.

Several years ago DH was involved through work to try and obtain a contract to provide (British Manufactured) hospital beds to the NHS.
The NHS was tied in to a contract to buy hospital beds from Germany at an astronomical price.

I was quite shocked that razors and shaving foam were supplied to men, why can't they take their own or buy it in the hospital shop. Like sanitary items I under them being supplied in an emergency but not routinely by the cash strapped Nhs. As a side note when I was an in patient I had sanitary protection in my bag which was open by my bed and was asked by a nurse if she could borrow one. I said she could take one, two if she needed to but I didn't want it back. She was very apologetic about asking but had come on her period unexpectantly while at work, bit shocked she had to resort to asking a patient tbh.

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...?

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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* ?

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

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.

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.