Drs Maria Sharmina and Rebecca St. Clair co-authored an article on single-use plastic and COVID-19 in the NHS
8 November 2021
The article was a collaboration between researchers at the University of Exeter, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trusts and The University of Manchester.
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The research was an in-depth study that investigated the procurement, use and perceptions of single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) in the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results were supplemented with data on the procurement of single-use PPE from the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. The research found that the procurement and use of PPE increased considerably during the pandemic, but that longer-term aims to reduce the use of single-use plastics within the NHS Trust had not been diminished.
This research suggests that more investment is required into the recycling and reuse of PPE in hospital settings to move towards a more circular healthcare model.
Read the full paper at the link below-