Posted on 15-February-2024   by Pete Williamson

Reducing Glove Usage – A New Collaborative Solution

Pete Williamson, Clinical & Sales Support Manager, Daniels Healthcare, shares a national initiative which shows what can be done when businesses, NHS Trusts and industry bodies come together to tackle the issue of over consumption of gloves in healthcare.

In the period between February 25, 2020, and March 31, 2022, 12.7 billion gloves were sent out for use in the NHS and social care services in England, an increase from 1.7 billion in 2019. This surge in usage was due mainly to the covid pandemic, however the numbers remain high, which not only places a strain on healthcare resources but also raises concerns about long term environmental impact.

A collaboration solution to improve Healthcare’s impact on the environment

The NHS is working towards more sustainable methods to healthcare practices, one of the issues we have been approached for, is to support with their overarching goals to reduce glove use and educate when gloves are needed.

With the DANIELS® danicentre going hand in hand with gloves in most hospitals in the UK, and as a company committed to environmental responsibility, this is a goal where we could bring together knowledge and expertise from recognised industry  individuals to create a resolution to the reduce the overuse of gloves where they’re not needed.

At Daniels Healthcare, collaboration is so important to us. Working with our colleagues in healthcare, infection prevention & control and sustainability we can tackle issues head-on. One of our practical solutions to back this initiative is updating the danicentre label to support in educating users when gloves should be used and promote more mindful consumption.

 

Raising awareness through targeted campaigns

The NHS has been at the forefront of campaigns aimed at increasing awareness of when and where gloves should be used and reducing unnecessary glove use since 2018. Glove Awareness Week by the RCN brought education and resources to support healthcare professionals reduce their dependence on gloves. Whilst GOSH’s The gloves are off! campaign not only improved staff and patient wellbeing, but also saved 21 tonnes of plastic – that’s three and a half T-Rex’s worth of plastic!

Building on their momentum, in 2019, Daniels Healthcare took a step further by introducing an additional label for the danicentre. This label encouraged healthcare professionals to pause and contemplate whether gloves are truly essential for a given task.

Teaming up with esteemed infection prevention and sustainability experts

In a stride towards sustainability, we collaborated with respected experts in infection prevention and sustainable practices – Lisa Butcher, Deputy Director of Infection Prevention & Control at Oxford University Hospitals, and Infection Prevention Society (IPS) President; Graham Pike, Associate Director of Nursing & IPC at Great Western Hospital, and Sustainability SIG Coordinator (IPS); Pat Cattini Associate Director of Infection, Prevention and Control at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and Prof. Jennie Wilson Professor at University of West London.

Working together, guided by these influential peers, we undertook the redesign of the main danicentre label, featuring a striking red banner posing a crucial question: “Do you really need to use gloves?”

Below you can see Pete with Lisa Butcher (left), and Prof. Jennie Wilson (right) pictured with our danicentre showing the updated label.

This improved label, lead and endorsed by the Infection Prevention Society, acts as a visual cue to healthcare professionals, encouraging them to consider the use of gloves in their daily routines. By promoting this mindfulness, our aim is to contribute not only to the efficiency of healthcare practices but also to a reduction in unnecessary waste and a positive impact on the environment.

Graham Pike says:

 

“We need to do everything we can to eliminate unnecessary glove use, as it increases the risk of spread of infection and causes waste, cost and carbon emissions. This initiative from Daniels Healthcare is a great small change which will hopefully make a big difference”.

As we navigate the challenges of modern healthcare, Daniels Healthcare stands proudly in our commitment to sustainable solutions. Working hand in hand with the NHS and healthcare professionals to create a healthier, more environmentally conscious future.

Together, we can make a meaningful difference in healthcare’s impact on the environment, one glove at a time