Midwives in Burkina Faso make use of donated Prospect Hospice uniforms

A uniform change at Prospect Hospice has benefited midwives in Africa.

In 2017, uniforms for Prospect Hospice’s Inpatient Unit staff were changed to reflect a recommendation from the Francis Inquiry Report, which stated that the seniority of nurses in healthcare-providing settings should be clearly reflected by their uniforms. This meant that the hospice had a surplus of the scrubs-style uniforms that nurses often wore during the summer months.

Thanks to Jane Poole, a nurse from the IPU team, the uniforms which would have otherwise been discarded are now being put to good use nearly 4,000 miles away, in the landlocked African country of Burkina Faso.

“I have visited Burkina Faso and I also have a friend who works with and helps to educate midwives there, so I asked my friend if they might have any need of our old uniforms,” said Jane. “The midwives in Burkina Faso were thrilled to be offered the uniforms, so we packed them off in a container and sent them on their way.”

Jane was thrilled to see photographs of the nurses wearing the donated Prospect Hospice uniforms. “It’s great to see that Prospect Hospice’s reach is able to make this unexpected difference for people so far away,” she said.