Do all hospitals have restaurants where doctors, nurses and general public all eat in one place?

Andy From Sligo

I have never been to other Hospitals in Ireland only our local one and I try not to frequent that unless I cannot help it but i went for a cup of tea and something to eat after an appointment/check-up and went down to the level where the restaurant was (does restaurant sound too posh lol - lets call it cafe then or catering) and it was absolutely wedged in their with Doctors/nurses/various hospital staff all mixing with the general public in their eating their lunch , the hospital staff all in their uniforms/scrubs whatever you call them. - now i would have thought that the staff/doctors and nurses would have their own part or area eating away from the public so they are not mixing with the general public.

why? - well, I thought about something like 'cross infection' where they could bring something (even possibly germs/bacteria?) on themselves or their uniforms into the eating area mixing with the public - or after mixing with the general public in the eating area take something back in the way of germs etc back to the wards they are working on or whatever? - its already been reported in the last couple of days that 2 wards have a Covid outbreak in these last couple of days.

It just surprises me to be honest that the hospital staff mix like this with the general public in this way , i really would have thought the staff and doctors and nurses should have their own staff canteens in the hospitals. - Apart from the germ spreading aspect i heard some doctors discussing (not using patient names though) medical issues with the others sitting around the table whilst they were eating ... again, not I think should be in earshot of the general public to be honest.

Strumms

One of the cafe's in the Mater when you visit in Dublin has usually about a 50/50 mix of non staff and staff.. doctors, consultants, nurses, porters, carers etc..everyone.

Was there about a week ago... probably if they have an X minute break it might not be practical to go from their last patient or work station to say a staff room or a canteen...

I was lucky I got in ahead of the rush to get a comfy seat by about 10 minutes to an already busyish cafe then they all descended, chaos.

fun loving criminal

You can separate staff and patient eating areas all you want but that won't stop the spread of covid in a hospital. Covid isn't carried on clothes either. Covid is airborne.

If someone goes into A&E and get seen by a doctor or nurse, do you expect them to change their clothes between patients because of all the germs that is carried on their hospital clothes?

Nothing wrong with doctors and other health staff eating in the canteen that is shared with the disgusting public. I'd be worried if they didn't wash hands or sanitise between patients, not worried about what's on their clothes.

BrianD3

The Covid pandemic is becoming a distant memory and the Irish health service and healthcare workers are reverting to type. An apathetic, sloppy attitude to infection control is just one part of that. In terms of the restaurants, it's probably a case of "Shur what can we do, we don't have the space for separate visitor and staff restaurants". Twill be "grand", we'll have the annual outbreaks of norovirus and other infections and any link to staff mingling with visitors in restaurants will be brushed under the carpet. But if there is another pandemic, watch everyone lose their minds.

Andrea B.

Seen some mad cross contamination stuff in hospital's.

Pull-door handles to leave communal toilets.

Coffee stations in hospital shops with everyone pawing the stacks of cup lids.

Throw in a few dressing gowned, face rubbing snifflers.

Suppliers of anti infection measures laughing all the way to bank.

Mrs OBumble

Hospitals are weird like this in lost of countries, not just in Ireland.

Any other type of workplace, staff have their own private canteen area, away from the customers. Sure they CAN to into the customer facilities, or into cafes in the area. But they don't have to. Hospitals are different, even though there's the obvious infection control issues.

I'm told that generally nurses don't make great housemates, 'cos they 're bad at cleaning too.

Chris_5339762

Having worked in several some have communal patient and staff facilities, some don't.

I'd prefer it to be seperate for all the obvious reasons, but for the ones that are communal... well put it as this - like hell is the government or HSE going to invest in the bare minimum canteen upgrades for staff, to solve the problem.

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120968163#Comment_120968163

Covid isn't carried on clothes either. Covid is airborne.

weren't they telling up back then that Covid remains on parcels and letters for 48hours? and on things like door handles and railings etc ...

Patrick2010

Get over covid ,at this stage most people have immunity from vaccines or contracting it. If you’re worried about sharing a cafe in a hospital with staff remember you could be sharing a bus,luas,train,pub etc

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120969262#Comment_120969262

They were trying to blame the spread on lack of hand washing and surface spread at the beginning. But it's not parcels and door handles that is the problem with covid. It can linger in the air and that's the problem with covid.