How to gift to a hospital?

Letting someone in the hospital know you care is important, especially when you can’t be there in person to let them know you wish them well. 

Some Australian hospitals do not allow the delivery of fresh flowers to wards or clinical areas.  We get it – nurses should be doing what they do best which is caring for patients rather than changing water and finding vases. 

Edible Blooms have prepared our top tips to ensure smooth delivery of your hospital gift and also our tips and tricks to choosing the perfect gift for either a get well soon, and I’m thinking of you, and new baby gift arrivals…

Hospital Gift Delivery Ideas

Most hospitals encourage gifts of fruit, books or magazines but when you’re looking for something to really cheer their spirits, an Edible Blooms delivery can be the perfect solution for a hospital gift delivery.  A chocolate bouquet or gourmet hamper tick all the boxes for a hospital gift.  No water is required, no concerns about allergies from pollen, just pure joy and get well wishes as soon as it arrives. 

Our gift range is ideally suited for hospital gift deliveries and is even welcomed by many of the strictest hospital guidelines.

Can I send a gift to nurses, staff, and doctors?

Nurses and doctors are worth their weight in gold when you have a family member, close friend or colleague in hospital.  Edible Blooms is regularly called upon to deliver appreciation gifts to share with the ward team.  Gifts that can be shared between the staff in hospitals are our specialty.

Can you send gifts to ICU patients?

Yes you can, but as someone who has spent days in the ICU waiting room, I encourage you not to.  It’s often the family members supporting the patient in ICU that need to know they’re in your thoughts so consider sending your gift to their home, or hotel room where family is staying.  A gourmet hamper gift is often welcome after a long day waiting in the hospital so they have some well deserved treats to look forward to.

What gift can you send to specialist burn wards in hospitals?

Edible Blooms range is a perfect solution for these specialist wards.  Fresh flowers are not permitted in these wards due to pollen spread.  Edible Blooms are a bright and safe alternative gift that can be enjoyed by visitors and nursing staff as well as the patient.

How do I make sure my hospital gift arrives on time?

Sending gifts to busy hospitals is most successful when you invest in some prior preparation.  Deliveries are subject to each individual hospital's internal processes in distributing gifts.  Here are our top tips to ensure the smoothest delivery possible:

1. Check before sending if the Hospital concerned accepts gifts for patients. Each hospital has its own policy.  Often you can find this information on their website which is particularly helpful if you are ordering the gift from overseas.
2. If they accept deliveries, confirm what types of gifts are permitted.  We also recommend checking the patient, or staff members, ward/department, and bed number if available to ensure a smooth and speedy handover on arrival.
3. Make sure the patient (or staff member) will be there for longer than 1-2 days to enable delivery to take place (see our suggestions below for short or unconfirmed lengths of stay). Avoid sending fresh fruit or cheese and baked goods in case they are delayed overnight.  There’s nothing worse than a special hospital gift delivery arriving spoiled.
4. Double check you have the patient name, and ward information, spelled correctly. If it’s a maternity ward gift delivery for a new baby gift, check if the mother is admitted under her maiden or partner's surname.
5. Include your phone number so that you can be contacted if there are any questions by the hospital staff when your gift arrives.  We print this information on the delivery label.

What should I do if the patient is only in hospital for 1-2 days and I would like to send them a get well soon gift?

The best option is to wait and send their hospital gift to them at home.  Our new ‘Instant Gift’ delivery option enables you to send your well wishes instantly and the patient can enter their preferred delivery address and delivery date so you don’t have to worry. 

What happens if I send a gift to the hospital and the patient checks out early?

We have no control over how long a hospital gift will take to arrive in the relevant ward once accepted by the hospital.  If our courier is turned away, or a patient has been discharged, our customer service team at Edible Blooms will redirect to a new address for a small redelivery charge. 

What’s the most important thing about a hospital gift delivery?

It’s letting them know that you care.  At difficult times this means the world.