Ward 'Rainbow boxes' for essential items | from NHS Lothian

Starting as a social media request for donations by a single member of staff to help combat the effects of isolation on COVID-19 patients she was witnessing, over £15,000 has been raised and the 'Rainbow boxes' charity created with a team supporting wards across NHS Lothian.

According to the charity’s website: “To comply with Government advice for people to stay at home and protect the NHS, we’re not asking for donations of items to be delivered / collected. Instead, we’re asking for funds to help us safely source items from retailers directly (at cost) to pass on to patients.”

Here's a summary of how the scheme works:

As the families of COVID-19 patients are unable to bring in essential items (such as toiletries, reading materials, iPads and phone chargers) that make a stay in hospital more comfortable, staff set up Rainbow boxes on wards instead.

A Rainbow box is a colour-coded storage unit matching the items on the inventory list. Staff distribute the items and keep a record of current stock levels. When stocks run low, staff send an email to a dedicated email inbox with a restocking request. Volunteers deliver more stock to the ward as soon as possible and for free.

Source: https://twitter.com/gillian_mcauley/status/1252287808854724609/photo/1

Charity website: https://rainbowboxes.org/