NHS Grampian Uniforms Center of Controversy

Wednesday 26th of May 2010 04:57:31 AM

The NHS Grampian is a hospital serving half a million people. The hospital is dedicated to advancing Scotland’s national health agenda in Grampian and the surrounding area. The hospital staff efficiently goes about doing business providing essential health services as required. The dedicated doctors, nurses and other staff take great pride in their ability to provide health care services to those living in the North East of Scotland.

Usually you don’t hear much about the hospital simply because it is busy serving its population. But recently the NHS Grampian made the front page of the Evening Express but not for a reason you might guess.

The hospital staff wear uniforms like most professionals in hospitals around the world. When you visit the website the picture that is posted shows some of the professionals working in the facility, and they are all wearing blue-screen tops and bottoms. The uniforms are designed to be durable and washable. So why are these professionals in the news? The Aberdeen Evening Express reported that the staff may have to start washing their own uniforms at home. The reason is strictly related to cost savings. Currently the hospital staff uniforms are washed by the hospital.

The reaction to this proposal has generally not been accepted in a positive manner. The hospital system has been ordered to reduce its budget by £34 million. This sizable amount will not be easy to find and naturally all the non-essential patient care items in the operating budget are being considered first. The proposal that would require staff to wash their own uniforms is just one of many cost cutting measures that have been proposed.

The objections to the proposal centre on the fact that improper washing could increase exposure to infections. Because the hospital currently cleans the uniforms, there is some assurance that they are properly washed. This item is up for further discussion and a final decision has not been made yet.