Working towards a safer and more sustainable
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Cost analysis
Many NHS trusts have already implemented our name & role hats successfully with their respective infection control departments fully onboard and we are happy to share their policies with hospitals.
Switching from disposable to reusable hats saves money over the life of the garment and trusts we are working with are already making significant savings.
When staff members are provided with embroidered theatre hats, there is a cost associated with the loss of these hats when a staff member leaves.
For example, if each staff member is issued four hats, then four hats are lost each time someone moves on. Additionally, when new starters join, they require new hats, but the ordering process can take time. During this waiting period, staff often revert to using disposable hats until the new hats arrive—if they ever get ordered at all.
Without a dedicated embroidered theatre hat champion, the typical trend we observe is that after the initial implementation of embroidered hats, new starters end up wearing disposable hats, creating a mismatch in headwear throughout the department. Over time, this results in a mix of disposable and reusable hats being worn by staff, which can affect consistency and hygiene standards.
Our badge hat range can be used by any member of the team, just like scrubs so they are always left on site and the outlay of the cost of the hats kept within the department who purchased them.
Cost savings from switching to reusable hats can be difficult to calculate due to the numerous factors that need to be considered, including:
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Laundering costs for reusable hats (whether washed at home, onsite, or through commercial laundering services like those for scrubs).
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The initial cost of embroidered hats.
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The cost of disposable hats.
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The number of disposable hats used per staff member per day.
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The staff turnover rate, which affects how frequently new hats are required.
These factors, combined with variations in usage patterns, laundering methods, and staffing changes, make it challenging to precisely determine cost savings, but they are essential to consider when assessing the long-term financial impact of switching to reusable hats.
Badge hats compared to embroidered hats
The cost to replace the badge would be £2.90 opposed to the fully embroidered hat for example, £9.50.
We hope that this has given you some food for thought. We love both our embroidered and badge hats, and we will work with you and your team to help you to make the best choice clinically and financially which best suits you!
Case studies
We have had a case study written by Dr.Mruga Diwan on the implementation of our embroidered theatre hats in 2022. This hospital took their own hats home to was so there was no cost factored into the laundering of the hats. A cost saving was identified but new staff members and lost hats were not taken into account. View Case study
Somerset will be implementing our badge hats in January 2025, with the added benefit of laundering them onsite. We are excited to document this implementation and will work on creating a case study to share the process and results. Once completed, the case study will provide valuable insights to help other hospitals and healthcare facilities considering the transition to reusable badge hats, showcasing the benefits and practicalities of the system in a real-world healthcare setting.
Several other hospitals are also planning to implement our badge hats in 2025, and they will be using Elis for laundering the hats. Once we document their implementation and gather insights on the process and results, we will create a comprehensive case study. This case study will be shared to provide valuable guidance for other hospitals, highlighting the benefits, challenges, and outcomes of using Elis for laundering the hats, and offering real-world data to support the transition to reusable badge hats in healthcare settings.