In a project proposed by clinical teams, Barts Health NHS Trust has worked with Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to source suitable reusable gowns to replace the disposable versions worn by clinical teams during surgery. The project has resulted in a reduction in total theatre waste of up to 60%, eliminating 90 tonnes of clinical waste from surgical environments every year, with an annual saving of 375,000kg of CO2.
Barts Health NHS Trust provides healthcare services to over 2.5 million people across five hospitals, including Whipps Cross in north east London. Clinical teams felt the level of waste generated by single-use gowns, which are worn once and sent for incineration, was unsustainable. They approached Wayne Yeboah, Procurement Specialist at the Trust, with an ambitious goal. They wanted to find reusable gowns that were:
• Cost effective and reliable without negotiating on quality
• Easy to use in healthcare settings with maximum infection control
• Made from lightweight, breathable materials that could be easily laundered
• Cost-effective, more reliable and more comfortable than current options, with consistent sizing.
Dr Natasha Kennedy, Consultant Anaesthetist at Whipps Cross Hospital, led the clinical side of the project. She worked closely with Wayne and the CCS team to make sure the solution would work for surgical teams across all sites.
Sourcing the gowns
Dawn Hare is Account Manager for Barts Health NHS Trust at CCS. She explains the procurement approach: “We began the process with pre-market engagement. Working with Wayne, we talked to the market first to understand what solutions were available and to develop suppliers’ interest in the project. Working closely with the clinical teams, we created detailed specifications to ensure quality and sustainability standards would be met.”
Rather than a direct award, CCS advised running a mini competition through the framework. In its experience, this consistently provides the best possible outcomes and value, ensuring the Trust could invite suppliers to compete on price, quality, sustainability and social value.
The comprehensive contract terms also protected the Trust from post-award price hikes, keeping taxpayer money safe.
Significant benefits
Within six months of awarding the three-year contract (in February 2025), Barts Health NHS Trust had replaced single-use gowns across six sites. The Trust will now use around 400,000 gowns a year across its theatres, reducing clinical waste and improving theatre waste management.
Dr Kennedy explains: “Theatres typically produce up to 70% of our hospital’s total waste. Now, 50% to 60% of what would have gone to waste from our theatres is being eliminated through reusable gowns.”
The carbon saving of an estimated 375,000 kg of CO2 is equivalent to what one of the Trust’s smaller hospital sites would emit in three months.
The new surgical gowns are made from breathable, softer fabrics. This improves staff comfort which helps to support focus during operations. More consistent sizing also makes it easier for surgical teams to quickly select the right gown from the shelf, and the staff love them. “One of the absolute highlights of this project has been having people come up saying, ‘I’m so glad we have these gowns. I’ve used them at other hospitals. I’m glad you now have them here,” Dr Kennedy says.
Fit for the future
The Barts’ greener gowns initiative supports the government’s mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and demonstrates how innovative procurement helps to create a more sustainable health service, reducing waste and improving working environments for surgical staff. It’s an approach to health procurement that has won two Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HCSA) awards for the London and South region, with further national award nominations. The model has been designed to be replicable and CCS reports that more Trusts are seeking to go down the same route.
At Barts Health NHS Trust, more departments are asking to join the gown supply, and the team is already working on the next phase: reusable surgical drapes.
