Hospital shop closes after 30 years

After 30 years, the Hospital Shop at Nelson Hospital is closing its doors permanently.

Chair of the shop, Dick Watson, says changes to Nelson Marlborough District Health Board’s healthy eating policy was “the beginning of the end” for the shop, which is staffed entirely by volunteers.

Dick, who has been involved with the shop for more than 10 years, says sales dropped by about 75 per cent when the policy was brought in, which meant they could no longer sell chocolates and confectionary.

He says, while the shop still sells toiletries, magazines and gift cards, it never recovered from the loss of confectionary.

In August, NMDHB made the decision to not allow volunteers on site due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He says other DHB’s have welcomed back volunteers, but NMDHB are taking a “more cautious approach”.

“There’s no way forward, really.”

NMDHB chief executive Lexie O’Shea says volunteers across many areas of hospital have been affected as they try to keep patients and staff safe from the virus.

"I sincerely thank the volunteers at the hospital shop for their years of dedication and service. I appreciate and admire the tremendously successful history of fundraising that the hospital has benefitted from.

"Unfortunately, Covid-19 has forced changes in the way the entire hospital operates. As we meet the challenge of Omicron in our community, we are adapting, and it is challenging."

She says the closure of the shop has been felt keenly by everyone at the hospital, and is in no way a reflection on the service or the dedication of the volunteers.

She says she hopes to see the shop open again in the future.

Dick says the shop would give out between $18-$22,000 a year to different areas of the hospital.

“The maternity unit gets all day sun, so we purchased cooling fans. We’ve brought fridges and freezers to store things like breastmilk and bellyful meals, which were supplied to the hospital.”

He says iPads, televisions and items for the children’s ward were also purchased with the profits.

He emailed his team leader in early February informing them the shop would not be reopening, but says there was no acknowledgement of the closure.

Lexie says staff have spoken to the team leader  and a “letter has been drafted”.