17/11/2025
Well done everyone - we saw yet another month of glove purchasing reductions.
This time, CUH purchased almost 9,000 less gloves compared to September! Given that we are already seeing increased winter pressures, this achievement is even more impressive!🥳
This is a fantastic improvement compared to last year, but there is still vast opportunity for more savings and for improving infection rates through only appropriate glove usage... In October alone, CUH still purchased a whopping 1 million pairs of gloves. This created 14 tonnes of waste, 53 tonnes of carbon emissions equivalent and cost the Trust £35,000. 53 tonnes of carbon is the same as the annual heating consumption of approximately 30 average UK households - just from gloves... in one month!
We would like to remind staff that gloves are not for all patient activities, i.e. it is not clinically appropriate to wear gloves when:
📈Checking blood pressure and temperature
💊Dispensing medication to a patient
🍽️Handling out and collecting meal trays and drinks
🤝Touching a patient
🍼Helping patients with oral nutritional needs
🦽Pushing a chair, trolley or bed and mobilising a patient
📞Using a phone or computer
Decontaminating your hands (before and after) all of these activities is far more effective, and is of greater benefit to yourself, our patients and the planet.
To be transparent and raise awareness of glove misuse, the sustainability team will continue to work closely with IPCT to highlight monthly purchasing rates of gloves, and what this means for waste, carbon emissions and Trust finances.
For more guidance on the Trust's gloves campaign, please check Connect: https://www.cuhconnect.nhs.uk/.../infection.../hand-hygiene/
