NHS Uniforms Explained
A national healthcare uniform proposal was made in 2021, putting forward the idea of a national uniform for NHS staff. As of 2022, the uniforms used to identify different medical departments vary from hospital to hospital.
The proposal suggested that a lack of uniformity may confuse visitors and patients receiving care in other parts of the UK. Despite these difficulties, NHS uniform dress codes and guidelines are nationally agreed upon by each NHS trust.
Such rules include uniform appropriacy, footwear regulations, personal hygiene maintenance and the importance of keeping ID badges visible. At Moda Per Cura, we have constructed our range of men’s and ladies' scrubs with these requirements in mind.
Stay with us as we explain NHS uniform rules and how our products will uphold patient and visitor safety, promote a professional image (while being sustainable) and give you high-quality value for money!
What do NHS workers wear?
The uniform that NHS workers must wear depends on their roles, such as clinical or non-clinical staff. However, the colours that determine each job position vary from hospital to hospital (on a region-wide basis!)
Clinical Staff are those who look after the health and well-being of patients. Examples include nurses, doctors, midwives, radiographers and occupational therapists. These staff members must wear uniforms in the interest of hygiene standards, professional image and visitor safety.
All those involved in patient care must be dressed appropriately, in a scrub top and scrub trousers. To follow the NHS uniform policy, all clinical staff must wear some variation of scrubs. They best prevent microbial growth and reduce viral activity, like our range of modern, treated scrub tops and trousers.
But what are the general principles for dress in the NHS?
NHS Uniform Guidelines
1. Uniform
NHS guidelines state that uniforms should be changed at the end of every shift. Although Nurses scrubs prevent the spread of bacteria, workwear may still be soiled or contaminated.
All uniforms must be odour-free, crease-free and presentable at the commencement of each shift. Tops should not be see-through, dresses should not be mini, and trousers should be well-tailored.
2. Footwear
Closed-toe, flat shoes are mandatory. If the shoe has a heel or ankle strap, this should be closed during shifts. Closed-toe shoes reduce the risk of injury and contamination. All footwear must also have a low heel below 5 centimetres.
3. Personal Hygiene
All clinical and non-clinical staff must maintain a high standard of personal hygiene. This high standard includes keeping your fingernails clean, perfume to a minimum and keeping hair clean. If you have long hair, it must be tied back neatly.
4. ID Badges
Any ID badges worn must be made visible to other staff and patients. Easily seen ID badges improve communication between departments and make each staff member’s role in the hospital clearer to patients. They are also crucial for security purposes.
How do our products support NHS uniform guidelines?
1. Textile Antimicrobial Treatment Technology
All our scrub tops and trousers are treated with a finishing technology called BI-OME AM5 AV. BI-OME AM5 eliminates various microorganisms you may come into contact with in clinical settings.
It is a wash-durable treatment that provides a 99% reduction in bacteria and a 97% reduction in viral activity after 2 hours of contact with enveloped viruses. At Moda Per Cura, we have taken extra steps to protect NHS staff in an affordable, sustainable and effective way.
2. ID Loop
Our range of men's and women’s scrub tops come equipped with an ID loop so that wearing your lanyard is easy and secure. This ID loop is a small, unnoticeable piece of fabric on the right shoulder.
3. Short Sleeves
Moda Per Cura’s range of men's and women’s medical uniforms come with short sleeves designed to minimise contamination. Infection control is a crucial part of hygiene standards, so it is paramount that clinical staff wear uniforms to make this easier.
4. Scrub Wash Bag
NHS guidelines stress the importance of changing out of uniform at the end of every shift, even if your scrub top and trousers don’t appear soiled! Contamination from bacteria invisible to the naked eye is likely, so it’s in the interest of patient safety to give your scrubs a good scrubbing!
That’s why Moda Per Cura has created the Foil Scrub Wash Bag, designed to add a protective layer to your scrubs during a wash cycle. Constructed with 100% diamante polyester mesh, this wash bag is the perfect size to carry your scrubs out of every shift, into the wash and back to work again.
5. Unrestricted Movement
In busy clinical environments, you’re bound to move around quite a lot! While many may not think of medicine as a physically active industry, you must have unrestricted movement to complete your work quickly and efficiently.
Our scrub tops and trousers are specially designed with contrast bar tacks on all stress points. We have designed our NHS uniforms with the highest quality manufacturing so that you don’t have to worry about replacing your uniform quickly.
Reinforced stress points on our scrubs include pocket openings, buttonholes, pleats and collar corners. With our lightweight scrubs, you can do your job effectively without compromising on comfort and quality.