Sheffield hospital bosses urge visitors to stop stealing hand gel amid coronavirus panic

The threat of Coronavirus has led to a high demand for a number of household items, and a lack of hand santising gel in some shops has led hospital visitors to take matter into their own hands.

Bosses at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have asked for people to refrain from stealing the in-demand gel from hospitals and community healthcare sites.

In a statement on social media, the trust said: “We are appealing to people not to take hand sanitisers and gels from our hospital and community healthcare sites.

“While the vast majority of people are respectful of the safety of fellow patients, visitors and staff, there have unfortunately been instances of the alcohol gel disappearing from hospital and community healthcare sites.

“Along with hand washing with soap and water these products are an important additional infection control measure.”

Chris Morley, Chief Nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “In common with their NHS colleagues across the country, our staff are working very hard to keep our patients safe and play their part in preventing the spread of all infections, not just Coronavirus COVID-19.

"Hand sanitisers and gels can help to prevent the spread of infection, but in actual fact the most effective way of protecting yourself is to wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, several times a day and in particular before leaving for work or school, before handling food and after returning from work or school.

"The actions of a small minority of people who are taking these products could be putting vulnerable patients at risk and we are asking people not to take the gel. We are also asking people visiting our hospitals and community sites to think about hand hygiene before they enter and when they leave our sites.”

The post was met with shock, with people saying the matter is “unbelievable” and "ridiculous".