Working towards a safer and more sustainable
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When will you make the change away from disposable products ?
When will you make the change
away from disposable products ?
Frequently asked questions
The NHS is one of the world's largest healthcare providers.
Many patients visit NHS hospitals, clinics, and surgeries every year for various reasons be it consultations, investigations, procedures, some minor, some major. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that all staff are easily and quickly identifiable to patients, visitors, and colleagues.
Identification and professionalism are implied by the wearing of NHS name badges. They also help in improving safety and security by preventing miscommunication errors. Numerous recommendations have been given on the implementation of name badges.
We at Eco Ninjas have been busy conducting in depth research and we have tried and tested various methods and designs for attaching and detaching badges safely to fabric theatre hats.
After extensive testing with Birmingham University and TWI in Cambridge, we eventually found the perfect solution, and we really hope this could become as standard uniform in operating Theatres throughout the UK.
One example is below:
A recommendation to amend existing policy or develop additional policy to require the wearing of name badges (or similar, but not cards on lanyards) by each type of health professional, bearing in large print the person’s name and title or role.
https://www.psnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Overview-Special-Commission-of-Inquiry-into-Acute-Care-Services-in-NSW.pdf (page 49, recommendation 62 C)
Identification in Theatre settings
In a theatre setting, badges are often covered up by theatre gowns, lanyards are tucked away, and both often have too small a font to read the details from a distance. Lanyards can easily accidentally be turned around, so the names/roles are not always visible, and many other issues arise from wearing this type of name badge also.
https://www.bjanaesthesia.org.uk/article/S0007-0912(18)30585-3/fulltext
It is critical to be able to recognise the importance of using first names, especially in crisis time-sensitive scenarios. Advocates having names and roles easily visible on theatre hats have given feedback to how this simple practice has had a transformational change to their working environment which provides huge benefits.
Over the last five years or so, names and roles have been written directly onto disposable hats, printed onto stickers & stuck onto the hats, ironed-on, printed and embroidered onto fabric hats and this simple low-cost initiative has gathered global momentum and recognition in improving communication and having an overall general improvement in surgical outcomes. We believe that we have the best, safe and eco-friendly alternative to all of these tried methods of identifying staff members using theatre hats.
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How should I care for my theatre hat?Our theatre hats can be laundered in industrial facilities or washed at home. Follow the care instructions provided with your hat for best results.
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How do your products contribute to sustainability?Our reusable theatre hats help reduce landfill waste by replacing disposable hats. They are designed to withstand regular use and can be easily washed and sanitized.
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Why not use embroidered and printed hats for communication?While we do offer embroidered hats, they present challenges such as complex ordering and size-specific requirements. Embroidered hats cannot be centrally laundered due to the difficulty of returning the exact hats to the right individuals. Detachable badges, however, can be centrally laundered and easily reassigned, making them more practical. Additionally, when staff leave, embroidered hats leave with them, whereas badges can be reused.
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How can I customize my theatre hat?You can customize your theatre hat by choosing the style, color, and size. We offer 13 different colors to choose from. Additionally, we provide embroidery options for names, roles, and company logos. Orders are made by hand and take 2-3 weeks to complete.
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What materials are used in your theatre hats?Our theatre hats are made from polycotton, which is lightweight (4oz), 65% Polyester and 35% cotton. They are crease-resistant and suitable for industrial laundering.
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Why not use different colors for the labels instead of yellow?We initially considered using different coloured badges, but it complicated the ordering process. Black writing on yellow badges provides the best contrast, making names and roles easily readable, even for individuals with dyslexia and dementia. Additionally, colour coding would be specific to individual hospitals and might not be usable elsewhere, potentially creating more waste. Universal yellow badges can be used anywhere and taken by staff when they leave. We have now however, due to recent feedback implemented White, Red and Blue badges.
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Do you offer blank badges for temporary staff like medical students or foundation doctors?Yes, we offer blank badges that can be written on, as well as badges with roles only, allowing names to be added. These have been successfully used by radiographers, students, registrars, reps, and clinical scientists. We have recently upgraded our writable badges with a vinyl covering to enhance their durability.
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Pretty sure this is well established in new Zealand/Australia ?Embroidered and printed hats have been used in Australia and New Zealand for a few years now, but the detachable badge hats are the first of their kind and Somerset is the first hospital that they have been used in worldwide. The issues and complexities of embroidered hats is outlined in the comment above.
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Why is it important for staff to wear name badges on their hats?In the complex theatre environment with high staff turnover and frequent visitors like radiographers, reps, and clinical scientists, it's challenging for everyone to know each other's names and roles. Additionally, staff in training often do short rotations, making it hard to recognize them before they move on. Name badges on hats help identify everyone, from students to surgeons, improving communication and teamwork.
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Colour coding of hats like scrubs would be useful.We are looking to make an adaptation to our ninja tags which is sewn onto the outside of the hats. We are looking to add coloured stripes to the ends of the tags to correspond to the colour codes of scrubs. Yellow = small, Brown = medium, White = large, XL= Pink.
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Is there an inclusive range available for staff from other cultures and religions?We have two sizes of braided hats for staff with hair braids.We have nearly finished our hijab design also and will add it to the range soon.