Flowers for patients at Naas General Hospital

About the hospital

Naas General Hospital (Ospidéal Ginearálta an Náis in Irish) stands on the Craddockstown Road in Naas, County Kildare. It is managed by the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group and provides acute services for a population of around 200,000 people in Kildare and the western parts of County Wicklow. The hospital has 243 patient beds, including 18 day-service beds, and a 24-hour Emergency Department.

The hospital began as the Naas Union Workhouse and Infirmary, designed by George Wilkinson, which opened in 1841. In 1922, shortly after the founding of the Irish Free State, it became Naas County Hospital, and in the 1990s the site was redeveloped as a modern general hospital. Many families in the county were born, treated or visited here over generations, so a bouquet is often welcome.

Ring before you order

Wards differ widely in what they permit. Some accept a small bouquet at the bedside, some ask for no flowers at all, and units that care for the most vulnerable patients, such as intensive care, do not take them. Ring the ward first and ask what is allowed on the day. The ward sister or the nurse on duty can tell you in under a minute, and it saves a disappointing delivery.

If flowers are not allowed, ask whether the ward would accept a card, a small gift, or a balloon. Many patients enjoy a cheerful card on the locker more than another vase they must find space for.

What to put on the order

Give the patient's full name and the ward, plus the hospital name and the town. Do not rely on a nickname, because hospitals hold records under the legal name. If the patient was moved between wards since you last spoke, check again before ordering, as a delivery to the wrong ward may be returned.

Write the card message clearly and keep it short. Something like "Thinking of you, get well soon" is plenty. If the patient is likely to be discharged in a day or two, consider sending the flowers to their home instead and choosing a delivery date for when they are back.

Choosing flowers that suit a hospital room

Beds and lockers in a ward are small. A compact, low arrangement is easier to place than a tall bouquet. Choose flowers that hold up well in warm rooms, such as chrysanthemums, carnations and alstroemeria, and avoid very strong scents, since patients can be sensitive to perfume. A small pot plant lasts longer, though some wards also object to soil, so ask when you ring.

Cheerful colours lift a patient's mood in a room that can feel clinical. Yellow, peach and soft pink are popular. After surgery many patients feel tired, and one clear vase of flowers is calmer than a crowded locker.

Visiting from outside Kildare

If you live abroad or in another county, flowers are a good way to show you are thinking of someone. Use the patient's full name, the ward and the hospital name, and add a message from you. If you can, ring a relative to confirm that the patient is still in the hospital and which ward they are in.

Naas lies near the M7, and families often travel from Dublin, Newbridge, Clane and Kildare town. Parking at hospitals can be tight and visiting hours can be restricted, which is another reason a delivered bouquet is appreciated. For patients based nearer to Clane, see the page for that town for the private hospital there.

After the hospital stay

Many people appreciate flowers more once they are home. Recovery can be slow, and the first weeks after a discharge are often lonelier than the stay on the ward. A bouquet delivered to the house a few days after discharge, with a note offering help with shopping or lifts, can mean more than a bedside bunch.

Other ways to say you care

If flowers are not possible, a handwritten letter, a phone call, a meal for the family, or a lift for a relative who is visiting all help. A Mass card is a thoughtful option for patients who would value one. Whatever you choose, keep the tone warm and the message short.

Did you know? Naas General Hospital began as the Naas Union Workhouse and Infirmary, which opened in 1841.