If you're a procurement lead, supplies manager, or category specialist evaluating Theatre Badge Hats for your NHS Trust, this page is written for you. It's structured around the questions you'll need answered before this gets through your governance process, in the order you'll need to answer them.
If you'd rather skip the reading and have a conversation, request a call and we'll walk you through it directly. Documentation packs are sent the same working day on request.
What we make
Theatre Badge Hats are reusable surgical caps with a detachable name and role badge. The cap is launderable to NHS standards through your existing scrub or theatre wear laundry contract. The badge is removed before laundering and cleaned separately, which is what makes the system practical at the scale of a Trust establishment with role changes, staff turnover, sizing variation, and student rotations.
The product is independently validated by TWI Cambridge, AMCASH (University of Birmingham), and the DEMAND Hub clinical review with University Hospitals Birmingham. Industrial laundering compatibility has been confirmed in writing by four leading UK healthcare laundries (Elis, Johnsons Workwear, Rocliff, Synergy). Eco Ninjas Ltd operates under ISO 9001 (BAB / UKAS-accredited, certificate 265960) and holds Cyber Essentials Plus. Full detail on our testing and compliance page.
We make seven styles as standard (Elastic Back, Bandana, Hammock for long or thick hair, Braided, XL Braided, Hijab, and Surgical Hood) across 14 NHS-compliant colours. Badges are available pre-printed or as plain writable badges depending on your use case (for example, rotating students).
Is this a credible supplier?
Reasonable starting question. Here's what we can tell you straight.
- Eco Ninjas Ltd is a UK-registered company (Companies House 13008231), incorporated on 10 November 2020. The company was previously registered as Warwick Med Ltd and renamed to Eco Ninjas Ltd in September 2024. The legal entity has been continuous since incorporation. Products, methods, and core team are unchanged.
- Founder-led by Danielle Checketts. Full backstory on our about us page.
- Backed publicly by The Royal College of Surgeons of England, The Royal College of Midwives, and The British Association of Urological Surgeons, all of whom joined our Westminster event on 15 April 2026.
- Featured by BBC News in May 2026, and by The i Paper in November 2025.
- ISO 9001 certified by British Assessment Bureau (UKAS-accredited), certificate number 265960. Current and in-date.
- Cyber Essentials Plus certified, the higher of the two NCSC-backed cyber security certifications.
- Carbon Reduction Plan published, PPN 06/21-aligned. View the CRP.
- Anti-modern-slavery statement published, available on request.
- Product liability insurance held, certificate available on request.
The honest framing: we're a focused, founder-led business in a specific category. We're not a generic distributor with thousands of SKUs. That's deliberate, and it's also why the product is good. If your due diligence requires specific documentation (financials, insurance certificates, anti-modern-slavery statement, equality policy, cyber-security position), we have it ready and will share it the same working day you ask.
Buying routes
Theatre Badge Hats are purchased directly from Eco Ninjas Ltd. We're not currently listed on NHS Supply Chain. For the size of our category and the personalised, often phased nature of Trust rollouts, direct purchase has been the most practical route for our customers to date.
We're also happy to engage with ICB or regional procurement collaboratives where Trusts prefer to route purchases through framework arrangements. Standard NHS payment terms apply. PO direct to Eco Ninjas Ltd, invoice direct to Trust accounts payable.
If your Trust requires a specific procurement route to release the order, please tell us early and we'll work with you on the route that gets it done.
What does this actually cost?
Headline pricing is published transparently on our pricing page, with volume tiers.
But the figure that matters for your business case isn't unit cost. It's annual cost per member of theatre staff versus your current disposable spend. That comparison is what unlocks the budget conversation, and it's why we built the Cost & Carbon Calculator.
Plug in three numbers (staff count, daily caps per person, current disposable price) and the calculator gives you:
- Your current annual disposable spend
- Your projected annual cost on Theatre Badge Hats (including laundering)
- The crossover point where the switch has paid for itself
- The associated waste and carbon reduction figures
Typical Trust outcomes: switching from disposables to Theatre Badge Hats delivers savings of up to 48% over three years, alongside a 90% reduction in single-use plastic waste in the theatre cap category. Specific savings depend on staff count, current disposable contract pricing, and laundry arrangements.
You can run the calculator directly without speaking to us. If you'd like us to validate the inputs or sense-check the assumptions for your specific Trust, we're happy to.
What about infection control compliance?
This is usually the gating concern for IPC team sign-off, and our answer is that the cap has already been put through the kind of validation that matters most: real industrial laundering trials at the laundries that hold NHS contracts.
Theatre Badge Hats have been successfully processed by Elis, Johnsons Workwear, Rocliff, and Synergy. Each laundry has independently confirmed in writing that the hats are suitable for central laundering, wash and dry effectively, and do not tangle or stick together in commercial laundry equipment. These are the same operators that already process scrubs and theatre wear for NHS Trusts day in, day out.
Alongside the laundering trials, the product holds independent validation in three further areas:
- Badge fastening system tested by TWI Cambridge to 400+ peel separations with no fastener wear or dimensional change
- Badge chemical resistance tested by AMCASH (University of Birmingham) against clinical cleaning agents (Actichlor, Clinell, 70% IPA), simulating one year of twice-daily disinfectant cleaning, with no loss of tensile strength
- Expert clinical review and infection-rate literature review by the DEMAND Hub partnership (University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust), drawing on seven senior NHS clinicians from five Trusts
Manufacturing is conducted under an ISO 9001-certified quality management system.
Theatre Badge Hats have been cleared through Infection Prevention and Control processes at NHS Trusts across the UK, including Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (Trauma & Orthopaedics, Musgrove Park Hospital, Trust-wide rollout in progress) and Great Western Hospital (maternity unit). Further NHS Trusts are currently approving the product as part of pre-purchase review.
For the full breakdown including testing scope, results, and report references, see our testing and compliance page. For the IPC-specific framework including HTM 01-04 alignment and recommended laundering parameters, see infection control and laundering compliance. If your IPC team has specific questions, we'd rather they spoke directly to ours. Please introduce us.
Sustainability and Greener NHS alignment
Theatre Badge Hats align with three current NHS sustainability priorities:
- Greener NHS Net Zero targets: single-use clinical consumables are a recognised category for redesign. We support both the 2040 NHS Carbon Footprint target and the 2045 NHS Carbon Footprint Plus (Scope 3) target.
- The Design for Life Roadmap: explicit identification of single-use clinical products as a priority for replacement.
- The Green Surgery Report (RCS England, 2023): direct recommendations on reducing single-use surgical wear.
Our Carbon Reduction Plan is published, PPN 06/21-aligned, prepared by The Carbon Stamp, and sets out our baseline emissions (423.66 kg CO₂e), 50% reduction target by 2035, and Net Zero target by 2045 in alignment with the NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap.
A formal Life Cycle Assessment to ISO 14040/14044 is planned. For the full sustainability framework including how our work supports your Trust's Green Plan, see our page for sustainability leads.
What's the implementation risk?
The realistic risks of switching to reusable theatre caps are:
- Laundry capacity: does the existing scrub laundry contract have headroom?
- Staff onboarding: does the team understand allocation, badge attachment, and return-on-leaving?
- Storage and circulation: where do clean and dirty caps go?
- Initial pushback: some staff are sceptical until they've worn the product for a week.
None of these are deal-breakers. All of them are addressable. The way we de-risk this is through a structured pilot first.
How do we trial before committing Trust-wide?
We strongly recommend pilots, and we've designed the process to be as low-friction as possible.
Sample pack
A small allocation of caps and badges, sent to your nominated lead. Gives theatre teams a chance to wear the product, assess fit, fabric, and visibility of the badge in real conditions. The cost of the sample pack is fully refundable on first order.
Structured pilot
A larger allocation across one or two theatres for a defined evaluation period (typically 8 to 12 weeks). We provide the implementation playbook, baseline measurement template, IPC documentation pack, and direct support throughout. At the end of the pilot you have your own evidence base for a Trust-wide business case.
Our flagship case study at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust shows what good looks like: recognition of staff by role rose from 41% to 96% within the first 30 days, and the implementation has now expanded toward Trust-wide rollout (see the Somerset case study for the full account).
A practical procurement timeline
A typical journey from first conversation to Trust-wide rollout:
| Stage | Typical duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Initial scoping call | 1 week | Confirm fit, agree pilot scope |
| IPC and procurement document review | 2 to 3 weeks | Trust teams review our documentation pack |
| Sample pack or pilot start | Week 4 | Caps and badges issued, baseline captured |
| Pilot evaluation period | 8 to 12 weeks | Wear, launder, observe, capture feedback |
| Pilot review & business case | Weeks 13 to 14 | We provide the data pack; Trust completes business case |
| Procurement & rollout | Trust-led, variable | We support implementation at scale |
Standard orders ship within 4 to 6 weeks of purchase order. Larger Trust-wide rollouts are scheduled in agreed phases to match your implementation pace. The timeline is yours, not ours. We work to it.
Documentation we provide on request
For your due diligence pack, we can supply:
Tell us what your Trust requires and we'll send the pack. We'd rather give you everything you need on day one than have your governance process stall waiting on documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Are you on NHS Supply Chain?
Not currently. Theatre Badge Hats are purchased directly from Eco Ninjas Ltd. For the size of our category and the personalised, often phased nature of Trust rollouts, direct purchase has been the most practical route. We invoice the Trust directly with standard NHS payment terms.
Can we buy directly without going through a framework?
Yes. Direct purchase from Eco Ninjas Ltd is the most common route for current customers. We invoice the Trust directly with standard NHS payment terms. PO direct to Eco Ninjas Ltd, invoice direct to Trust accounts payable.
What's the minimum order?
Sample packs are available from a single unit. For Trust-level orders, we work with you on volume tiers (see pricing).
What's the lead time?
Standard orders ship within 4 to 6 weeks. Larger Trust-wide rollouts are scheduled in agreed phases to match your implementation pace.
Do you support implementation, or is it just a product order?
We support implementation directly. This includes IPC documentation, staff onboarding materials, allocation and tracking guidance, and a named contact through your pilot and rollout.
What if a member of staff changes role or leaves?
The badge is detachable. Role changes mean a new badge, not a new cap. A staff departure means the cap is returned and reissued, or the badge is removed and replaced for the next user.
Can the badges be customised for our Trust (for example, with our Trust logo)?
Yes. Branded options are available. Please discuss at the pilot stage so we can plan supply correctly.
Where are the products manufactured?
All Theatre Badge Hats are manufactured in the UK. We work with specialist UK textile partners and treat supply chain detail as confidential for commercial reasons. Full provenance and modern slavery statement available on request to NHS Trusts.
Are Theatre Badge Hats classified as medical devices?
No. They are reusable theatre uniform, the regulatory equivalent of scrubs. They are not classified as medical devices and we don't make medical-device claims. The independent testing we hold is best-practice product validation for healthcare textiles.
How do we get a quote?
Either run our Cost & Carbon Calculator for your Trust's specific numbers, or contact us directly for a tailored quote.
Read more
Run the numbers for your Trust, request a sample pack, or speak to us about a structured pilot. We answer enquiries from procurement teams the same working day.