County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust's Reusable Theatre Hats Project, which launched in February 2024, has celebrated its first anniversary. It has achieved a lot in the past year, helping to reduce carbon emissions and waste while improving patient experience.
Last year we introduced reusable theatre hats which are fabric caps worn by surgical staff instead of single-use disposable ones.
Unlike traditional disposable hats, these can be washed and reused multiple times, reducing waste and environmental impact. Since the green projects introduction we have been able to save 84,000 disposable hats previously incinerated each year, which was costly and unsustainable.
The theatre team proposed a sustainable alternative: personalised fabric hats embroidered with each colleague's name. These reusable hats can be taken home, washed, and used repeatedly, significantly reducing waste.
Patients have responded positively to the change, as the embroidered names on the hats make it easier to identify staff, helping create a more personal and reassuring experience during surgery.
This simple yet effective initiative supports both sustainability and patient comfort.
Since its launch, the initiative has been a resounding success. Not only has the project reduced waste by switching to reusable, less carbon-intensive caps, but it has also enhanced service efficiency and patient experience.
The reusable hats are colour-coded and assigned to specific job roles, enabling team members to quickly identify clinical roles in the theatre setting.
Dean Stevenson, a Medical Educator, said: "One massive benefit, aside from the increased sustainability, is that patients love them and often comment. Surgery can be a very daunting time, but seeing clinicians' names on their hats helps ease anxiety and makes patients feel more comfortable and at ease."
In addition to environmental and cost-saving benefits, the project has fostered team bonding.
New staff members unfamiliar with colleagues' names and roles have reported integrating into the team more quickly as the hats allow them to identify colleagues' names and roles.
Previously, the disposable hats uniformly blue made it difficult to distinguish individuals, creating a more anonymous environment.
The theatre's green initiative has shown that small changes can yield significant sustainability benefits, bringing our trust closer to Net Zero.
By integrating eco-friendly practices, we are advancing our sustainability goals, enhancing patient care, and improving service efficiency.
