Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is working to lower the financial and environmental impact caused by the unnecessary use of non-sterile gloves.
 
As part of the Gloves R Off campaign, the health board’s decarbonisation group is encouraging a reduction in the amount of non-sterile gloves used across Gwent, which should save money and see a drop in the board's carbon footprint.
 
Gloves R Off challenges staff to assess infection control risks on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to wearing gloves by default in every clinical situation.
 
In 2023 the health board spent almost £1 million on more than 21 million non-sterile gloves - equal to emissions of more than 570 tonnes C02eq.

Alison Stevens, nursing lead for sustainable healthcare and technical manager at the Intensive Care Unit for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: "The NHS hasn’t got an open chequebook, and it’s no safer to have gloves on than having good hand washing techniques in many situations.”
 
With the success of the project at The Grange University Hospital, it has since expanded for trials in theatres at the Royal Gwent Hospital and Ystrad Ysbyty Fawr.

The Health Board hopes to build on the success of these savings to further improve glove usage across the NHS in Gwent.