There is so much more than to having a great uniform that ticks all the boxes in the healthcare industry. Healthcare organisations should consider:
- Having local uniform polices in place and monitoring compliance with these
- Provide enough uniforms for staff to avoid daily washing
- Educate healthcare workers of correct ‘washing methods’ to remove micro-organisms.
- Procure uniforms that are 100% comfortable for staff, including the consideration of natural fabric fibres
- Have a dedicated person or team to manage and monitor good healthcare ‘uniform practice’
Some evidence based good uniform practice in the healthcare system:
- Wear short- sleeved tops. Why? Cuffs at the wrist become heavily contaminated and likely to come into contact with patients.
- Change immediately if the uniform becomes soiled. Why? Soiling may present an infection risk and would be disconcerting for patients.
- Dress in uniform that inspires patient and public confidence. Why? People use appearance as an indicator of professional competence.
- Wash uniforms in the hottest temperatures suitable for fabric. Why? It removes almost all micro-organisms at 60 degrees Celsius.
There is so much more to consider when creating, developing and managing your healthcare uniforms. It is a good thing to consider a uniform partner if you need more assistance in the management of your uniform portfolio. At Tara Uniforms we can not only help put good uniform practice into place but run your uniform shop if needed through our Tara Matrix uniform management system.
At Tara Uniforms, we take all these objectives in mind and have an extensive range of healthcare uniforms to suit different professions, washing requirements, durability, comfort and personal preferences.
To find out more, click here
Reference:
NHS, Uniforms and workwear: guidance for NHS employers, Publication 2 April 2020
