21.10.14
Hospital trust bans tea and coffee to give ‘better impression’ to patients
Staff at three Leicester hospitals have been banned from drinking tea or coffee on the job because it looks like they’re not working hard enough.
The ban applies to reception areas of outpatient clinics and follows complaints from patients and other employees that having drinks makes staff look as though they “are not working as hard as they might be”, according to hospital management.
The rule, brought in at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Glenfield and Leicester general hospitals, has angered staff, and one health campaigner has described it as “draconian”.
However a hospital spokesperson told NHE that the ban in outpatient clinics actually brings those departments into line with policy in other areas of the hospitals. Nurses and medics who work on wards are also not allowed to have hot drinks in public areas.
Staff were informed of the ban in an email from Michelle Scowen, matron for clinical support and imaging.
She wrote: “Following a number of complaints by staff and patients it will no longer be permitted for staff to have drinks in the reception areas of the clinics in the central outpatients’ departments at UHL (University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust).
“Clearly this activity has given the wrong impression to staff and the public that clinic staff are not working as hard as they might be.
“Members of the public are frustrated by long waiting times during clinics and for appointments and are inflamed by seeing members of staff enjoying hot and cold drinks at the reception desks.
“I appreciate that this will cause anger and upset amongst your staff and I can only apologise for this. Our priority must be to ensure that we are not compromising our high standards by presenting a poor impression to the public and staff who visit our departments.”
Staff were been told that they can have hot and cold drinks in departmental kitchens. A hospital spokesperson confirmed to NHE that the ban does not apply to water.
But a furious clinic co-ordinator told the Leicester Mercury: “What will it be next, that we won’t be able to go to the toilet?
“We are often in work at 7.30-8am organising notes for the clinics which start at about 8.30am and we often don’t get time to take a break until about 1pm as clinics over-run.
“It is just wrong that we can’t have a drink in that time.”
A spokesperson for Leicester’s Hospitals said the ban was a management decision.
In a statement the spokesperson said: “We made the decision to stop allowing staff to drink in patient areas following feedback from our patients’ and other staff. They told us that it gives a bad impression. Having said that, our clinic co-ordinators have expressed concern that the new rules will result in unmanned reception desks, which would also give a poor impression. So we will be working with our colleagues to see if we can identify an appropriate solution.”
The Royal College of Nursing spoke out against the rule. Tim Baggs, a spokesperson for the College, said: “We would expect managers to be allowing and encourage staff to take adequate refreshment breaks. The reality is that staff are often too busy to find enough time to take a proper break and do end up having a hot drink while working. They should not be prohibited from doing this if they’re not being given the opportunity to have a break away from public or clinical areas.”
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