Staff at Wishaw General Hospital are the first in Scotland to make a complete switchover to the new NHS Scotland national uniform.
The new uniform is for nurses, allied health professionals, as well as for NHS employed catering, domestic, portering, facilities and estates staff– with colours of tunics varying for different fields of work.
Clinical staff, such as nurses and allied health professionals, will wear tunics in shades of blue. Facilities staff, including porters catering and domestic staff, will wear shades of green. All groups of staff will wear navy trousers. The uniforms are bespoke to NHS Scotland and will carry the NHS Scotland logo.
The uniforms are being phased in across Scotland, but Wishaw General will become the first hospital to introduce them for all relevant staff on Monday 15 March 2010.
The uniforms will be rolled out across other NHS Lanarkshire sites in the coming months.
Currently, NHS Scotland staff wear more than 250 different styles of tunic in more than 100 different colours. It was found that this brought confusion to patients, the public and staff.
Annie-Marie Carr, Associate Director Bankaide and national uniform implementation lead for NHS Lanarkshire, said: “The new uniform should help patients identify staff and their role more easily.
“The uniform was designed in consultation with staff who said they were looking for comfort, simplicity and consistency. The new uniform will also help staff comply with NHS Lanarkshire’s policies to tackle healthcare associated infections."
The new uniform is more cost effective while providing better quality garments, which are more appropriate to staff’s needs. It has been designed to be durable and stand up to the rigours of the job.
For more information visit www.scotland.gov.uk/nhsuniform