Timing Issues and Costs of Ordering Embroidered vs. Reusable Hats in Healthcare

Timing Issues and Costs of Ordering Embroidered vs. Reusable Hats in Healthcare

When hospitals consider moving away from disposable theatre hats, the conversation often starts with sustainability and cost. Disposable hats are not only wasteful but also misaligned with the NHS 10-Year Plan to create a greener healthcare system. However, the transition to reusable hats, especially embroidered ones comes with its own set of timing and logistical challenges.

Eco Ninjas Hijab

The Hidden Costs of Disposable Hats

At first glance, single-use hats seem convenient. But when you factor in purchase price, disposal costs, and environmental impact, it becomes clear they are more expensive in the long run.

Many hospitals have even switched to cheaper disposable hats to cut costs, but these often tear easily, leading to higher daily usage and more waste- a counterproductive move.

Time Constraints in Decision-Making

Before reusable hats can be introduced, several decisions must be made, including:

• Commitment to sustainability – agreeing to move away from disposables.

• Importance of names/roles – confirming that improving communication and patient safety is a priority, and that identification on the theatre hat is the best position.

• Colour coding – deciding whether fabric hats of badges should reflect role types like some disposables do.

• Laundering – confirming if infection control approves home laundering and whether staff are happy to wash hats at home.

• Finance approval – securing buy-in by demonstrating long-term savings.

  
  

These steps can take weeks or even months, delaying progress. Every delay means thousands more disposables used and discarded, adding to landfill and undermining sustainability goals.

Embroidery: Benefits and Bottlenecks

Embroidered hats offer clear advantages: improved communication and a professional appearance that makes staff feel valued. However, embroidery introduces major time and cost challenges. Orders require exact names, roles, sizes, and hair considerations for every individual.

 A dedicated coordinator is needed to manage new starters and updates. Delays mean hats often arrive after staff have moved roles or left, wasting money and creating piles of unused hats. If you calculate the staff time spent managing embroidery orders, collecting data, chasing approvals, and restarting processes- the cost skyrockets, often exceeding disposables. In reality, we’ve seen hospitals attempt to order embroidered hats for years; the longest case took three years.

Staff turnover, procurement delays, and reliance on one diligent champion like Dr. Mruga Diwan at Royal Liverpool, who often uses her own time late at night to submit orders, making the process unsustainable. Without her, the department would revert to disposables. Add multiple meetings with procurement, clinicians, and sustainability teams, and the cumulative time cost far outweighs the hats themselves. The complexity and waste in both hats and time is staggering.

Badge Hats: A Smarter Alternative 

Reusable hats with detachable badges solve these problems. Our hats for entire teams can be ordered in minutes, badges can be updated easily for new starters or role changes, and visitors, students, and reps can use the same system without reverting to disposables. While badge selection takes a little extra time, it’s negligible compared to embroidery. We’ve done the hard work, learned from these barriers, and created a product that solves real-world problems hospitals have struggled with for years.

What’s New?

We’ve updated our sample packs to now include our new larger bandana, adjustable hood, hijab, and braided hat. We’ve also included a blue printed badge and a plain writable white badge, giving teams more flexibility and inclusivity than ever before.

One simple innovation. Big impact.