Gloves off!

It's safe and better for patients and the environment

Here at Homerton we are focused on improving patient safety, as well as contributing to a more sustainable and efficient healthcare environment. We are adopting an initiative called the “Gloves Off Campaign”. The campaign aims to raise awareness and reduce the unnecessary overuse of non-sterile gloves* in the Trust.

Did you know that many aspects of care do not need the use of non-sterile gloves? Some examples are when:

  • dispensing medication
  • giving vaccinations or immunisations
  • taking a patient’s blood pressure, temperature, and pulse
  • assisting with a patient’s eating and drinking
  • tidying the bed space / making beds

Evidence supports that we over-use non-sterile gloves and their use can lead to the increase in transmission of healthcare associated infections. We know that using gloves can stop staff from the attention to detail in their hand hygiene.  So, it is important we invest our efforts into ensuring we use these gloves appropriately.

Pilot projects in the NHS have demonstrated that non-sterile glove use can be significantly reduced. This results in carbon reduction whilst maintaining infection prevention.

Please do not be alarmed if you see your care provider not using gloves for tasks such as those outlined above. Glove use will only be reduced when there is no known risk of infection. Have a look out for our posters and please ask your healthcare team if you have any concerns.

References:

NHS England,  Leading Change, Adding Value Team (2018). The Atlas of Shared Learning.  Retrieved from NHS England ‘The gloves are off’ campaign.

Loveday, H.P., Wilson, J.A., Pratt, R.J., Golsorkhi, M., Tingle, A., Bak, A., Browne, J., Prieto, J. & Wilcox, M. (2014). epic3: National Evidence-Based Guidelines for
Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections in NHS Hospitals in England. Journal of Hospital Infection, 86(S1), S1-S70.

*What are non-sterile gloves?

Non-sterile gloves are usually used for general protection against contaminants and in non-sterile environments. They are used in non-surgical medical procedures, such as wound dressing changes and other patient care where there's a risk of exposure to bodily fluids.

Sterile gloves are used in sterile environments and procedures where preventing contamination is critical. They are essential for surgical procedures, invasive medical interventions, and any other procedures involving direct contact with sterile body tissues or blood.