Hats

 

The picture above is a still from the 1972 film Carry on Matron. Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068339/. (I find the Carry On's generally a remarkably rich source of information for everything HP-esque. I might one day do a longer article dedicated to that particular film because it is set in a maternity unit, like where I served for nine years of my career.) Here we see a desk and/or senior porter in the uniform of his era, played by the actor Derek Francis. He is dressed in a white-and-tie, as you'd expect from more recent codes; but his uniform includes a jacket and peaked cap. Porters in hospitals are traditionally bareheaded and mostly have been for as long as records can be found. (This is a pattern I see across the civilian professions too. The traditional nurses' bonnet has also gone after shrinking considerably over the years until it was just a folded napkin tucked into a ponytail. They were phased out soon after I joined up.) I think I'd like to have worn a hat as part of my uniform. Possibly for general duties something more utilitarian would have done, like a baseball cap, the kind the police wear in some countries. The peaked cap would be suitable for more public and formal roles, like desk. A hat gives a sense of professionalism and position; self-discipline and authority. I, for one, think we should introduce it for our own uniform. Please comment below if you agree or disagree.