At least 20 NHS trusts will pilot a government scheme to cut back on single-use products and increase the use of reusable alternatives for widely used items such as tourniquets, blood pressure cuffs and sharps bins.
The trusts will test initiatives developed by the Department of Health and Social Care to get their teams to stop using familiar, disposable products. In some, the plan is to replace them with reusable items but for others, the goal is to phase them out altogether, according to procurement documents published this month.
This is part of a wider DHSC programme, Design for Life, which wants to create “a circular approach to medtech” by 2045, wherein products are made in such a way that they can be “reused, remanufactured or recycled, preserving their value for as long as possible”.
The department believes this will promote economic growth in the UK, reduce waste and emissions, improve supply chain resilience, and save money.
Date: 19 August