What next!!! How annoying when we can’t access tests, diagnosis and treatment for thyroid disease!!!!! I thought they were short of money!!! It’s a disgrace!! Also fluffy non slip socks in out patients for day cases which go in the bin!!! Disposable plastic things too, I saw it all in hospital last year!!! My son works in A and E, the waste he sees drives him mad!!! So much money wasted every few minutes!!!
Rant over!!
I (thankfully) have never had to have a stay in hospital, but I can imagine how awful it would be if your period started and you had no sanitary protection available. It would only add to the stress so I think it's a great idea. Obviously folk that have a planned stay and/or family who can bring things in for them, are unlikely to need free protection but it should be there for those that need it.
Too difficult to police though. It will be abused like everything else.
I don't think there is a necessity to 'police' it? If someone is staying in hospital and needs a sanitary towel they get one, if they don't need one they won't ask. I don't think anyone having an overnight stay in hospital is going to be thinking about how they can get their hands on packs of sanitary towels to take home with them, or am I missing something?
You would not believe it, yes I’m afraid you are missing something.
Enlighten me!?
See my other comments.
I have but you just keep saying we don't understand and should see what goes on. You haven't actually explained?
Do you really think I’m going to lust all the problems within the nhs and where all the money goes??!! It’s not rocket science! Ask anyone working there!!!
But it's no good telling us we don't understand but then not explaining? I'm not disputing that there are probably many ways in which the NHS can save money but my point is that in this case, I think providing sanitary protection for those that require it is a good thing. It's about dignity. They aren't proposing to hand boxes out at the entrances or offer them free in gp surgeries so I fail to see how folk can take advantage. Anyway, we are clearly getting nowhere in this discussion so I'll leave it there 🙄
How is it disgraceful, the cost is minimal and in reality how many women will actually need the products as anyone with a planned admission would be prepared and those admitted as an emergency shouldn't have to worry about lady things as well as their medical problem.
My husband has recently been in hospital for 9 weeks and the "non slip socks" provided were the only foot gear he could wear as his feet were so swollen, he was very glad to have them.
You would need to see all the waste for yourselves to understand.
Sanitary protection is not a waste, it's a necessity, do you object to the toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving gear that's also provided 🤔
I spend a lot of time in hospitals and have done for many many years so I see what goes on, how about all the inedible food that goes in the bin !
You always used to be able to ask for a pad-it was the size of a mattress but very welcome if your period began in the middle of the night or the ones you brought with you ran out- what else to do?
I remember those 🤣 and they were definitely provided post Gynae ops, also made available on maternity wards, so I can't see what all the fuss is about.
It's true enough. If a woman got caught short, the only available protection would be a mini incontinence pad which is designed for incontinence. The sanitary pads are very cheap but do the job. They're not specially branded and are much cheaper than incontinence products. There is no alternate if caught short.
‘In the old days’ a nurse could go to the obs and gynae wards and get some for you, but now wards have budgets and can’t share stuff any more because they have to ‘pay’. This is where we’re at! X
Clearly no one here knows where I’m coming from. I wish I could show you what’s REALLY going on, you would all be up in arms!!!! It’s the waste right across the board too, so why ADD to it and break the service we all rely on!!! It has to be seen to be understood.
Im not understanding why you think it's a waste of money, a few pads and tampons aren't going to make a huge impact in the grand scheme of things.
Thanks for your likes MissGrace. 😊
I think the waste is more at the numerous CCG execs and headcount duplicating policies, admin, governance etc than a few tampons. Most women are organised and know if their period is due but if I ended up unexpectedly in hospital unable to get to the shop/family help I’d hope there would be enough NHS compassion to help me and just give me something to get me through it... especially when men get razors
I agree.
Organisation is nothing like enough in many conditions (which I wouldn’t wish on anybody)
EXCEPTIONAL circumstances YES!!! People are not always sensible!! Anything offered and advertised in the media as ‘free’ in the nhs is dangerous! You would not believe how ridiculous some people are!!!!!
Every penny needs to be used for important services.
I had a give a poor lady surgical swabs to use for menstruation once in a healthcare setting I worked in... surely having a few pads available in case of 'emergency' is only a good thing! I doubt they would be abused!
What is scandalous is the refusal to re-use stuff like Zimmer frames and the like. Something to do with the cost of re-furbishment and "hygiene issues". I can understand this on some appliances but a Zimmer frame? Maybe new footpads or handle grips. The amount of money wasted on crutches is unbelievable, just not interested in this stuff being returned.
When mum died she had 2 NHS supplied walking frames at her house, one for upstairs and the other for downstairs. They were quite literally never used as mum had to go very quickly into a nursing home such was her parlous state of health. I tried to return these unused frames (one still had wrapping plastic on) but they were refused most adamently. So in the end I gave them to a charity that specialises in living aids for the elderly down where I live.
That is how the NHS wastes, as just one example.
Thanks. There are so many examples, far too many to list and explain here!!! I just felt the injustice of supplying pads AS WELL AS all the other waste, when they deny us the RIGHT to correct diagnosis, tests and treatment, in my case for 15 years!!!
Wow that's terrible and illogical. We wash and disinfect walking aids constantly for reuse.
We also have a wheelchair which is use by several patients, disinfected after single use, same with portable commodes. The disposal part is the pan which is made from recycled card which goes in the sluices. We are very mindful of waste and have a good idea how much items cost.
There are women and school girls in this country who can’t afford sanitary protection. It is disgusting that VAT is charged on them. Please don’t think that a woman in hospital should be denied basic care.
I work in the NHS. I agree there is a lot of waste however giving out a few sanitary towels to someone is not wasteful. I have never seen anyone stockpile them for their own selfish gain.
But I bet those girls' parents can afford beer, takeaways and a TV, perhaps they should rethink their priorities
Thank you Angel_of_the_North. Exactly!!!! It’s a real eye opener, some people really DO take the Mick!!! It’s such a major problem in the nhs.
Oh dear. This is generalisation at it’s worst. Perhaps you need to see what really is going on in our society. Perhaps go and visit a food bank?
Well I think this is going off piste!!
We are not talking about the women and children who can’t afford protection in general. I have not said that women who are caught out without protection
IN HOSPITAL should be denied it!!!!
That's exactly what you said 😂
Exceptional circumstances only. Not the ‘free for all’ as advertised in the media!!! It should be kept under wraps otherwise it’s another drain. Let’s please agree to disagree. I mistakenly thought people on this forum would understand given our ‘miserable circumstances’. Clearly not.
THE END
It was foolish of me to think that people on this forum would understand. Let’s agree to disagree!
I think that's very insulting. All this energy you've wasted saying 'you wouldn't understand', you could have used it to explain. Are you a man?
How very rude and insulting! EXPLAIN!!! It’s in the news day and night as well as the rest of the media.
I wasn't intending to be rude. Surprising you say that after all you've been saying about us! I was just pointing out the obvious. But, if that's the way you want to take it, that's ok, I apologise.
It was NEVER MY intention to insult anyone on this forum at all. I am just very surprised that it’s all been taken out of context. The NHS is seriously crippled and theres no point any of us complaining about it regarding thyroid if we condone this kind of spending, however ‘small’ people THINK it may be.
But why pick on sanitary towels? Why not bandages or anesthetics? Sanitary towels are no more of a waste than those things. As someone said, what is more of a disgraceful waste is the inedible food they serve that goes straight in the bin. It starts out as good wholesome food, but by the time it reaches the patient it's undescribable muck! Last time I was in hospital for two weeks, I left with malnutrition! I just couldn't eat a thing.
And, I think that's what has upset people, that you pick on something so innocuous to rant about, and then tell people they don't understand. The aforementioned hospital stay, I was rushed into hospital with no time to pack a bag, I'm too old for sanitary towels, but they had to provide me with soap, two face clothes and two towels to wash until my family could get to see me. Is that a waste, too? I was extremely grateful for it all.
I have to admit, I don't understand, and I don't think anybody else does. A lot of health services around the world are in crisis, and there are many reasons for it, but sanitary towels just isn't one of them. 
I was mearly pointing out another cost to the nhs, of course all that is waste too, that’s the point!!! To add to it all will make it worse. It won’t stop there!!! There will be other demands off the back of this and all the other demands.
I see your point - you just picked the wrong subject to rant about.
I think everybody know that there is so much money wasted in the NHS, but what can we do about it? We're the victims, not the perpetrators. If you have any ideas about that, then I'm sure people would be all ears. If, for example, they diagnosed and treated thyroid correctly, that would save the NHS billions. But, that wouldn't please Big Pharma, because they would then lose money. And it's Big Pharma our main problem. And until they are toppled, there's not much anyone can do.
What we clearly don't understand is your view that providing women with a basic need is "disgraceful" 🤔
I think this is all being taken to another level now!
Actually you did say "It's a disgrace" in your opening post.
I am sure all would agree that waste within the nhs is an issue, especially when important things are being rationed left, right and centre due to financial constraints. And I am sure most would be able to think of examples! I get this is your main frustration.
Thank you.
Worse is providing HIV men an expensive pill so they do not havebto bother with condoms.
Providing free sanitary products is the right thing to do.
West Norfolk NHS GP useless for Hashimotos Thyroid Patients it seems!
How many people in UK suffering through lack of NHS care for thyroid patients? 
In treated patients Free T3 does correlate with quality of life
free prescriptions for Hypos
Thyroid treatment for new patients in U.S.
