The end of tea and sympathy? Costa in, volunteers out at superhospital
WOMEN volunteers have been dumped from North Staffordshire's new superhospital after dishing up cuppas and snacks to generations of patients.
Instead, health bosses have brought in multi-national chain Costa Coffee to serve the hundreds of thousands of people using the state-of-the-art venue every year.
The Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) will continue to run the tea-bar at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire's nearby maternity hospital.
But it is no longer be catering for the huge numbers of people using the trust's outpatients department.
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The WRVS bar in the hospital's orthopaedic and surgical unit is also closing.
Officials ruled there is no room for the mainly elderly volunteers in the atrium of the City General superhospital where the outpatients centre is based.
The women have been pouring out drinks to patients in the waiting room of the old outpatients centre since it opened 50 years ago.
But the end of an era has been hard to swallow for many patients who valued the homely nature of the WRVS tea-bar.
Glaucoma sufferer John Davis, aged 77, from Bentilee, said: "This is a really sad day. WRVS may still have a cafe in maternity but that is a smaller specialist service compared to the thousands using central outpatients.
"They have been served snacks and beverages at reasonable prices by these local, homely and friendly ladies and the service was such a popular fixture of the old place.
"The trust has clearly been attracted by the big penny from Costa Coffee and it is typical of how the NHS is turning more and more to big commercial concerns.
"The new superhospital is so big it can seem impersonal so keeping the WRVS snack bar would have retained a familiar and personal touch for folk."
Hospital patient Barbara Beeston's aunt Lillia Cooke worked at the WRVS bar for years before her death five years ago.
Mrs Beeston, aged 65, of Bentilee, said: "We are losing something special here. My aunt, like all the ladies, had a great way with the patients and put them at ease.
"They all work for free and profits went to the hospital. If the trust could find room for Costa Coffee why not the WRVS?"
Last year the society donated cafe profits of tens of thousands of pounds to the hospital.
Lynn Hensman, WRVS service delivery manager for Staffordshire, said: "We are disappointed to confirm the closure of our outpatients and orthopaedic tea bars.
"Unfortunately, there is no space for WRVS services in the new hospital. We would like to thank our volunteers who have worked so hard and given their time to make services at the hospital a success."
A hospital spokesman said: "We have always valued the work of the WRVS and provided a brand new cafe for them in the maternity unit."
Comments
by yamerama
Thursday, June 14 2012, 7:03PM
“Tried the new Costa yesterday mid afternoon, so 'off peak'. Service - indifferent and very slow, Goods - excellent, Value - poor. £5 odd for small coffee and a wrap.
I thought that there was a euro law regarding competition - surely it can't be fair to have a monopoly within a public building?
And I can't believe the cramped staff work area and their method of cleaning the frother with steam meets H&S standards. If it does, it should'nt.”
by Alberus
Saturday, June 09 2012, 4:17PM
“Motorheadmalc...you're quite wrong actually. I lived in London for 9 months in 2008-9 and suffered that lousy winter in the capital. I also spent some time as an outpatient at St Mary's Hospital Paddington, so am aware of what London's like. I also intend to spend some time there just as soon as this Olympic nonsense is over so I can move around as easily as it is possible in London. I really meant that London appears RATHER faceless when COMPARED to an area like North Staffs. In fact, I think London is fantastic and I absolutely love it!!”
by drew03
Saturday, June 09 2012, 12:16AM
“There is absolutely no point in complaining to the hospital.
Under the PFI agreement, Sodexo have been awarded a contract that lasts for 37 years to suck as much money as possible out of UHNS.
http://tinyurl.com/823m6y4
Read it and weep.”
by Motorheadmalc
Friday, June 08 2012, 7:29PM
“Sorry, for got to paste this:
http://tinyurl.com/c389rro”
by Motorheadmalc
Friday, June 08 2012, 7:23PM
“@Invisable:
I totally understand why it must feel like that. However, if you apply pressure in the right places, you might just find yourself pleasantly surprised by the results. I'm not joking, organisations like AVVAS ( http://tinyurl.com/89znsh7 )
and 38 Degrees ( http//:38degrees.org ) do achieve stuff. In fact, this Londoner is here because your local issue was flagged up by another pressure group here in London. It is about a global not just national issue that upsets people.
Just to remind you, here's that hospital contact page again. Go on, why not? You don't know until you try.”
by invisable
Friday, June 08 2012, 6:49PM
“motorheadmalc We have not become a spineless nation who love to moan. I for one would have the guts to speak direct, and i bet alot of other people who have commented on this story would also speak direct. Would it make any difference ? None what so ever. Coz the peoples opinions dont count at all.”
by Motorheadmalc
Friday, June 08 2012, 6:00PM
“@Alberus: I don't think you've ever been to London if that's how you view us as faceless. Sure, it's a massive place with all the pressures of a Capital city.
Don't judge us until you've spent some real time here.”
by Motorheadmalc
Friday, June 08 2012, 5:36PM
“I'm glad to see the annoyance of people here. However, if you can type comments here, you can also do the same at the source of the outrage you feel.
It's a shame we seem to have become a spineless nation who love to moan, but don't have the guts to speak out directly. What feels worse? Trying and risking failure, or watching something good just die, not having tried at all?
Try writing to the hospital about your concerns here, because there's no point in moaning and doing nothing....
http://tinyurl.com/c389rro”
by Motorheadmalc
Friday, June 08 2012, 5:29PM
“I'm glad to see the annoyance of people here. However, if you can type comments here, you can also do the same at the source of the outrage you feel.
It's a shame we seem to have become a spineless nation who love to moan, but don't have the guts to speak out directly. What feels worse? Trying and risking failure, or watching something good just die, not having tried at all?
Try writing to the hospital about your concerns here, because there's no point in moaning and doing nothing....
http://tinyurl.com/c389rro”
by Alberus
Friday, June 08 2012, 2:14PM
“Looks like this idea is as popular as a fart in a phone box and not without good reason. If this is progress, they can stick it. Costa may be OK for big London hospitals where everyone is faceless anyway, but in North Staffordshire where people are more matey and likely to bump into friends at the hospital including WVS members (not ALL "old dears" Wivens) it just don't fit. Commercial gain in hospitals was never a consideration before. Now it seems to take No. 1 spot every time. My advice? Get a petition going, remember this is OUR hospital no matter what those overpaid managers say.”