Appeal for Clothing Donations to Assist Hospital Patients

Queen's Medical Centre staff have started a campaign requesting donations of warm clothing to ensure patients are not sent home in thin gowns or pajamas during winter. While clothing banks are set up at the Nottingham hospital, most contributions so far have been summer attire.

Zoe Rayner, deputy sister in the transfer care unit, emphasized that the hospital welcomes "any wearable items," including coats, shirts, sweaters, scarves, and hats. She noted that standard hospital gowns are insufficient for cold weather, and some patients may not have access to clean personal clothes if family or friends are unavailable.

Ms. Rayner explained: "Sometimes patients leave with only the clothes they arrived in, which could be soiled. We want to make sure no one goes home in a hospital gown when temperatures are below freezing." She added that this issue occurs more often than people might expect, as patients are focused on their recovery rather than what they wear when discharged.

The donated clothing is intended to give patients comfort and dignity. "I once assisted a patient leaving a ward in a gown on a very cold day. They had nothing else with them. Once we dressed them in donated clothes, they looked like themselves again," Ms. Rayner said.

Those wishing to contribute are asked to bring warm clothing to ward A43 on the eighth floor of Queen's Medical Centre.

Author: Noah Whitman