Hospital Bans Flowers to Minimize Infections, Clutter

Before making the decision to ban flowers, York Hospital administrators surveyed patients for their opinions. They focused on maternity patients, who tended to receive the most flowers, and found that the majority wouldn't mind receiving their flowers at home rather than the hospital.

"Everyone wants to buy mum flowers, but mum doesn't stay in hospital that long anymore," McManus says. "Once she has a baby she's home within hours, so we decided it'd be a good idea for people to enjoy their flowers for longer at home."

Though this measure has been received well by patients in York, Nutty says similar policies are not likely to be implemented in the U.S. anytime soon.

"I think it's unlikely that they would ban them in all settings because it's such an uplifting thing for patients that come into the hospital," she says. "They go into such emotional stress when they're in the hospital and a lot of hospitals work very hard to make that person feel that they are at home. They want them to have an environment that is pleasing and pretty, so they allow the flowers."

Flowers and plants aren't completely absent from York Hospital, however; there is plenty of greenery in the chapel and outdoor courtyards.

"We want to make sure that patients have access to these kinds of things, but not right at their bedside," McManus says. "It's a local decision we've decided to make and we'll see how it goes."