Plans for a new all-Wales uniform for NHS nurses so that patients can easily see who is in charge on hospital wards will be announced by Health Minister Edwina Hart this week.
The recommendation is made in a report by nurse leaders which found patients were often uncertain about who was in charge due to the range of different uniforms that exist across the health service.
The uniforms will also be designed to minimise the risk of infection being spread in hospitals, Mrs Hart will say. Her announcement will follow recommendations made by a working group comprising nursing staff and health representative bodies including the Royal College of Nursing, UNISON and the Royal College of Midwives.
The group was set up by Mrs Hart last year to look at ways of improving the patient experience and empowering ward sisters and charge nurses Different staff grades across every NHS Trust in Wales will have their own standard uniform to enable patients to better distinguish between staff grades and responsibilities. Across Wales there is currently no consistent approach to the design, colour style, number issued or replacement cycles for uniforms.
The group’s report says patients are often confused over who is in charge on the ward, making it hard for them to know who to direct a query to and what level of confidence they can have in the reply, which can undermine public confidence in the profession and the NHS. They say patients are also confused by the fact that similar uniforms are worn by non-health professionals, such as those working in retail or hospitality. The group’s recommendation is also based on what they say is an increasing public concern over nursing staff uniforms being worn outside of work which is seen as posing an infection risk.
The group says the uniform should be designed to reduce the risk of infection, and that there should be a stockpile of uniforms available for frequent changes and improved laundry and changing facilities for staff. Wider recommendations by the group to improve hygiene, cleanliness and the patient experience, will be announced when their report is published later this week.
Edwina Hart said:“A new nationally-recognised uniform will be symbolic of the individual and the organisation. I want to ensure that anyone entering our hospitals in Wales knows immediately who is a nurse and who is in charge. It will not only convey identity, but also reassurance to patients and relatives and a sense of solidarity and pride among staff themselves. The new uniform will also be designed to reduce the risk of hospital infections spreading, helping to meet our One Wales commitment to improve hospital cleanliness.”
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