NEWS

Unprotected transfer of clinical waste sacks
"A serious potential source of infection."

Reduce Hospital acquired infections - follow European example

• To avoid any transfer of risk, all clinical waste needs to be stored in solid bins with foot operated opening lid only.

• The current system in hospitals allows plastic bags to be carried from ward to holding bins without protection. The distance these bags travel can be from a few meters to a few hundred meters!

• Plastic bags by nature can and do leak - and occasionally contain needles or scapels.

• Clinical waste in hospitals does not receive the respect it deserves.

• The NHS have not installed the necessary tools it needs to reduce potential sources of infection.

• Management of clinical waste could be improved considerably with the introduction of a closed container system.

• This would improve infection control risks and save the NHS millions.

• In-house treatment of clinical waste is on average 50% cheaper than using outside contractors who carry the potentially hazardous waste on the roads of Britain.

• UCLH, Cornwall Partnership Trust, West Middlesex University Trust have proven the efficiency of this system.