REUSABLE theatre caps made from sustainable plant-based material have been created for NHS Scotland.
The caps are part of a research project led by the University of Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt University aimed at reducing waste created by single-use disposable theatre cap products used by NHS Scotland.
The Golden Jubilee University National Hospital is involved in the co-design of the caps, which are made from cellulosic fibre, which is derived from plant-based material, and offer a sustainable alternative to traditional disposable options.
With around 800,000 single-use disposable theatre caps consumed every year in Scottish hospitals, the new reusable theatre caps will be biodegradable at the end of their lifecycle, reducing the environmental impact of medical waste.
Some existing single-use caps contain materials that can take up to 300 years to decompose entirely.
Beyond their eco-friendly credentials, the theatre caps also serve multiple practical purposes.
They aim to relieve anxiety among patients, through the use of fabric colours and patterns and help staff to more easily identify each other in busy clinical environments, as current headwear doesn’t differentiate between different roles in hospitals.
The theatre caps have been carefully designed with input from NHS Golden Jubilee theatre staff to ensure they meet practical needs while maintaining sustainability goals.
Staff will now test and feedback on the innovative caps to assess their potential for wider adoption across NHS Scotland.
The theatre cap project is part of the broader Design HOPES project (Healthy Organisations in a Place-based Ecosystem, Scotland) which is led by Professor Paul Rodgers at the University of Strathclyde and Professor Mel Woods at the University of Dundee.
Design HOPES was recently awarded more than £4.6m by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as one of four Green Transition Ecosystem (GTE) hubs in the UK, which aim to address distinct challenges posed by the climate crisis including, but not limited to, realising net zero goals.
Dr Euan Winton, assistant professor of design at Heriot-Watt University, commented on the urgent need for innovations like the new theatre caps: “NHS Scotland faces massive resource-driven issues, with millions of single-use disposable theatre caps going to incineration in Scotland annually.
“The new sustainable theatre caps represent a crucial step in addressing this significant wastage and demonstrating the power of design in tackling environmental challenges in healthcare.
“Our specialist school of textiles and design in the Scottish Borders is proud to be part of the Design HOPES GTE hub tackling a broad range of global challenges, using our expertise to find new and innovative solutions to sustainability.
“Along with Professor Paul Rodgers of the University of Strathclyde, we are working closely with user groups to create new products that are fit for purpose.
“We’ve worked closely with theatre staff on the design of the new caps and feedback has shown they will have other benefits like reducing anxiety among patients.”
Carole Anderson, director of transformation, strategy, planning and performance at NHS Golden Jubilee, expressed enthusiasm for the project: “NHS Golden Jubilee is proud to be at the forefront of this sustainable innovation in healthcare.
“These new theatre caps align with our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and also enhance our ability to provide safe and high quality patient care.
“By improving staff identification and potentially easing patient anxiety, these caps offer multiple benefits beyond their eco-friendly design.”
Professor Paul Rodgers from the University of Strathclyde’s department of design, manufacturing and engineering management, said: “Working closely with our NHS Scotland partners, we will continue to support them on their green transition journey, developing collaboratively design-led solutions that will create positive change.
“This project showcases the power of collaboration between universities, healthcare providers, and design researchers.
“By bringing together expertise from various fields, we’ve been able to create a solution that is both practical and sustainable.
“Moreover, this project has potential for creating new green jobs across Scotland that will have socio-economic as well as environmental impact.
“The success of this project opens the door for further design-led innovations in health and social care.
“As we continue to face the realities of climate change, it’s crucial that we find creative ways to reduce our environmental footprint while maintaining and improving the quality of care.
“The new reusable theatre caps are a significant step in that direction.”
