Picture this: you're a scrub nurse in the middle of a complex procedure. Something doesn't look right. You want to speak up, but the person across the table is masked, gowned, and wearing a disposable cap that looks identical to everyone else's. Are they the consultant? A registrar? A visiting surgeon you've never met? In that moment of uncertainty, would you feel confident raising a concern?

You've made the decision to switch from disposable to reusable theatre caps. The business case is approved, the budget is allocated, and you're ready to make sustainable practice a reality in your operating theatres. But where do you actually start? Implementation matters as much as the decision itself, and getting it right ensures lasting success.

When we think about healthcare's environmental footprint, we often focus on big-ticket items: energy-hungry imaging equipment, pharmaceutical packaging, or single-use surgical instruments. But sometimes the smallest items, multiplied across thousands of procedures, create impacts that far exceed their individual size.

With NHS trusts under increasing pressure to meet Net Zero targets by 2045, every procurement decision matters. Operating theatres generate a significant portion of hospital waste, and disposable scrub caps contribute thousands of items to landfill or incineration each year.

We are pleased to share that our Parliamentary meeting at Westminster is now scheduled for the afternoon of 15 April 2026. This represents a significant opportunity to highlight how improving visibility, communication, and human connection in surgery can strengthen patient safety across the NHS.

As 2025 draws to a close, we are proud to reflect on a year of significant progress and impact. The past few weeks have been especially productive, and we are delighted to share key highlights, along with a preview of what lies ahead in 2026.

It’s been an exciting time for us, with two major press releases shining a spotlight on a critical issue in operating theatres: unclear identification and how our Theatre Badge Hats are helping solve it.

'I was mistaken for a doctor': The change surgeons could make to improve safety