Kitchen Garden Forum

Tried today to send flowers to somebody recovering from an operation in hospital & florist rang us subsequently to say they were unable to deliver them because they hospital concerned was no longer accepting flowers for delivery to patients. The florist said she knew of several hospitals now implementing such a policy.

I don't know whether this is due to NHS cutbacks where staff no longer have time to deliver flowers to hospital wards but it seems to me a bit of a mean policy to deny patients a bit of cheer at a time when they most need it. I'd never come across this practice before. Has it happened to anybody else?

It's all down to the water - whose changing it etc? Both Noro & C Diff spores can live in the water & with the greatest thing this country ever invented being squeezed (the NHS) there is no one to change this water regularly so better to say No than risk putting patients at risk. Just for interest Noro was known as winter womiting disease but it has evolved & now we get it all through summer as well!
Like lottie realy - weeds, pests & diseases evolve & give us grieve - ditto these hideous and dangerous viruses!

Westi

Gosh - I rarely remember to change the water in my flower vases although I do top them up with fresh water. Are you telling me that I'm actually harbouring the potential source of all kinds of diseases? To be honest it never occurred to me. I belong to my old granny's school of thought ie "You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die."

I think you are OK Primrose - I only ever top up my water as well, have eaten dirt & many more unsavioury things no doubt...just don't give me flowers if I am in hospital as I'll never know about the person in the bed next to me..what are they bringing in? What lifestyle do they lead

Scarey isn't it? But don't scare family & friends precautions are in place to limit effect - just like the flowers.

Westi

My wife visited a neighbour in hospital once a week for 8 weeks recently and took flowers each time. There was no problem with them. In fact one of nurses said "is it you brings the Sweet Peas? I love them and give them a sniff every time I walk past". I think the problem may have been more with handling the delivery than the flowers themselves.

We had a similar problem some years back when taking a pot plant (not as much watering needed) we were told the leaves may drop off and make a mess!

Hospitals around Sheffield have banned any flowers on the wards for a year or two now. I sometimes take my friend a beautiful scented rose so she can have the pleasure of it for the rest of the day and then chuck it in the bin. She also likes a bit of lavender which she puts out of sight of the nursing staff and sniffs it when she feels like cheering up.

I would be thoroughly miserable if there were no plants or flowers around.

I think the excuse is on hygiene grounds, but it is more likely too few staff and no place in modern hospitals for the therapeutic benefits of natural things like plants and flowers and kind caring nurses - although a few of her nurses were both efficient and caring.

Another aspect of paranoia over MRSA and the need to keep bugs down?