Sustainability
conducted by the University of Sheffield found that waste and offsite disposal costs of single use gowns had a significant impact with potential savings of 22%-26%/ £2,400 to £5,200 for a standard protection gown and 16%-20%/ £3,700 - £7,700 for high protection gowns (modelled on 1000 gown usage per week). The variation is accounted for by the dedicated surgical processing model and logistics.11 The model which this author finds exciting
and interesting for the service is the one provided by Elis. They own the product, manage its quality and number of uses, while ensuring that the items are appropriately returned to use, fully sorted, washed according to HTM standards, and checked, packed and sterilised according to HTM decontamination and sterilisation standards. The costs of this managed service, reviewed by Deloitte in 2007, found that a saving of 29% could be achieved by choosing reusable over disposable. Also to be considered is the fact that VAT is reclaimable for the NHS on reusable product. NHS England states that, on average, reusable surgical gowns are 45% cheaper and it reminds potential users of the VAT reclaim.
Conclusion We have a moral duty to the world to reduce our carbon footprint and in healthcare a particular responsibility to ensure that we minimise the impact that surgery has on the planet. The Green Surgery Report by the Royal Colleges has set the pathway for us, but there are many other ways in which we can immediately ensure that the circular economy of surgical gowns, drapes and tray wraps is made a commitment by Trusts and Operating Theatre Departments around the UK. Companies such as Elis can help by providing a managed service, with a daily delivery service to hospitals, ensuring a sustainable logistics set-up. Reusables seem to be the answer from an environmental perspective, as well as providing a safe and cost- effective solution for end users.
References 1. Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, and UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (2023). Green surgery: Reducing the environmental impact of surgical care (v1.1). London: UKHACC. Accessed at
https://ukhealthalliance.org/ sustainable-healthcare/green-surgery-report/
2. Center for Disease Control (2017), Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Prevention Guideline. Accessed at:
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/ hcp/surgical-site-infection/
index.html
3. NICE (2020) Surgical Site Infections: prevention and treatment [NG 125]. Accessed at
https://www.nice.org.uk/ guidance/NG125
4 Blazejewski T, Rothman R. Life Cycle Assessment (2022), University of Sheffield and Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures.
5. Cited in NHS England, How to Guide, Reusable Sterile and Isolation Gowns. Accessed at:
https://tinyurl.com/mrydsd6a
Come and see us for your Procedure Pack requirements
6. Vozzola E, Overcash M, Griffing E (2020) AORN J Mar;111(3);315-325
CSJ 7. Blazejewski T, Rothman R. Life Cycle 11. Ibid Come and see us for your Procedure Pack requirements
Stand H45 Stand H45
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Assessment of Elis Reusable Hospital Gowns (2022)
8. Net Zero and Sustainable Procurement team 2024. Understanding the benefits of a switch from single-use to reusable surgical and isolation gowns. Accessed at: https://
networks.sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/ resources/hot-guide-reusable-surgical-and- isolation-gowns
9. Nieuwenhuizen K, Friedericy H, Linden S, Willem Jansen F, Eijk (2024). A User experience of wearing comfort of reusable versus disposable surgical gowns and environmental perspectives: a cross -sectional survey. BJOG. Accessed at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/1471- 0528.17685
10. Yap A, Wang K, Chen E, et al, 2023. A mixed methods study on end-user perceptions of transitioning to reusable surgical gowns. Surg Open Sci 2023:11;33-9 cited in ‘Sustainable shift in surgical practice: embracing reusable gowns,’ 2024. Royal Australian College of Surgeons, ANZ Journal of Surgery, 94(2024) 1457-1459
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