Clothes bank idea gets Leicester Royal Infirmary nurse shortlisted for award

A nurse's simple but bright idea to set up a hospital clothes bank has been picked up at home and abroad.

It also earned Billi Hamnett, who works at Leicester Royal Infirmary, a place on the short-list for a national award.

The deputy sister established the clothes bank in the hospital's emergency department so patients whose clothes had been ruined in accidents would have something to go home in.

It has proved such a success it is also running in the children's section of the emergency department.

Colleagues on wards at Leicester's three hospitals have picked up on Billi's idea and started setting up their own banks.

She has also had inquiries from a hospital in Manchester, while two student nurses in Denmark contacted her and have followed her lead where they work.

It cost nothing to establish the bank as Billi's colleagues and their friends have been donating unwanted clothes.

She said: "Patients who come into the accident and emergency department are often soaking wet or had their clothes ripped in an accident.

"Having this supply means we can give them something clean and dry to go home in."

Billi, who has been a nurse in the department for nearly six years, added: "I set it up initially to help patients, many of whom were homeless, who came in for treatment. Caring doesn't stop when patients walk out of the door.

"I just thought we could do more for them and a set of clean, dry clothes gives them some dignity and a bit more self-esteem."

Her idea so impressed colleague Jim Madden, a charge nurse in the emergency department, he nominated her for a Nursing Times award for contributing "to a significant improvement in the quality of patient care in the accident and emergency environment."

He said: "It was such a simple idea but one which makes such a big difference to people.

"It has really helped our vulnerable patients whose clothes can be quite scruffy and other people were looking down at them.

"I thought Billi deserved some sort of recognition for her work so I decided to nominate her for an award.

"I decided not to tell her until I had an e-mail back to say that she was one of the four short listed finalists in the annual awards scheme."

Billi was pipped at the post for the top prize at an awards ceremony at London's Hilton Hotel in Park Lane but said she was delighted to be nominated as a finalist.

She said: "I was shocked when I heard about the award.

"I couldn't believe I had even got to be a finalist for such a simple idea."