Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is working to lower the financial and environmental impact caused by the unnecessary use of non-sterile gloves.

 As part of the Gloves R Off campaign, the Health Board’s Decarbonisation group is encouraging a reduction in the amount of non-sterile gloves used across healthcare sites in Gwent, which should see a drop in the Health Board’s spend and carbon footprint.

 Although non-sterile gloves are a staple infection control tool and are used in healthcare sites for many different care-related tasks, they are not always necessary. While gloves are unavoidable in some cases, such as coming into contact with bodily fluids and chemical hazards; there are tasks such as feeding patients, using a computer, checking blood pressure, or giving oral medication, where gloves are not needed and a good hand-washing technique will suffice. Gloves R Off challenges staff to assess infection control risks on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to wearing gloves by default in every clinical situation.

 In 2023, the Health Board spent almost £1 million on more than 21 million non-sterile gloves - equal to emissions of over 570 tonnes C02eq. Prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Health Board’s use of non-sterile gloves was close to half of the figures reported in 2023, and so the new campaign is aiming to revert the Health Board’s glove usage to pre-pandemic levels.

The Gloves R Off campaign was first implemented at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where their glove reduction saw the organisation save 21 tonnes of plastic, as well as an improvement in staff hand hygiene. Alison Stevens, Nursing Lead for Sustainable Healthcare and Technical Manager at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, saw this as a campaign that had potential to save costs and emissions and was quick to implement it in the Intensive Care Unit where she acts as Sister and Technical Manager, looking after equipment and procurable items. This department alone spends over £50,000 on over 375,000 gloves per year and is keen to reduce their glove use as much as possible.

Alison said: “When the advent of COVID-19 came, because it was the great unknown, we wanted to stay safe so we could protect our patients but now it’s about giving our colleagues the support and confidence to leave the gloves off where not needed.

“The NHS hasn’t got an open chequebook, and it’s no safer to have gloves on than having good hand washing techniques in many situations.”

With the success of the project at The Grange University Hospital, it has since expanded for trials in theatres at the Royal Gwent Hospital and Ystrad Ysbyty Fawr. 

Amber-Joy, Recovery Sister at the Royal Gwent Hospital Theatres department, identified her department’s potential for savings.

Amber-Joy said: “There's often times we go to put on a pair of gloves rather than questioning ‘Do I need gloves for this task?’. It’s not us saying we have to stop the use of gloves; it’s just thinking more appropriately of when we use them or not.”

Main theatres alone spend over £280,000 on 2.4 million gloves per year, but with this new encouraging campaign, the hope is to see a reduction in use going forward.

Jennifer Winslade, Executive Director of Nursing for the Health Board, said: “The Health Board is striving to be glove aware and promote that they are only worn when needed to. In the future, we hope to see less unnecessary glove use and I feel positive that our only way forward is through sustainable healthcare, and projects like this play a key part.”

The Health Board hopes to build on the success of these savings to further improve glove usage across the NHS in Gwent.