6/3/2023 0 Comments Compression bandage![]() This not only cuts down on waste for landfill, but also reduces manufacturing waste and transportation costs. ![]() With trusts being monitored for their waste levels and rubbish collection being scaled back in many areas, why aren’t we changing how we manage venous leg ulcers?Ĭompression wraps, an alternative to bandages, can reduce waste: they are machine washable and reusable. In 2018, the Royal College of Nursing estimated that the UK generated 60,780 tonnes/year of clinical waste, with a median disposal coast of £406 per tonne. Per patient, it is estimated that one to two bin bags of household waste are generated per week (bandages used in a hospital setting are classed as clinical waste.) ![]() Bags of clinical/household waste are still produced after every application as contamination by bodily fluids means the bandages cannot be recycled. "Compression wraps, an alternative to bandages, can reduce waste"Ĭompression bandaging has been the gold standard for venous leg ulcers since I came into nursing during that time the bandages have evolved but the waste generated has not. In a typical day, I could easily spend four to five hours wrapping up legs, which has done my back and the environment no favours. I’ve been a district nurse for over 10 years and a tissue viability specialist in acute care, so I’ve had my fair share of being on my knees, washing ulcerated limbs and applying compression bandages. We should be empowering patients, promoting self-care, streamlining services to improve efficiency and certainty, and adopting measures that promote sustainability and protect the environment. The news is full of wait-list lengths and the backlog of services so we must continue to transform how we provide care. The Covid-19 pandemic is truly globally unprecedented times and we have adapted and changed as a result. ![]() In 20 years of nursing I have repeatedly heard “we can’t continue like this”, “we’re at breaking point”, “these are unprecedented times” – and yet we do survive, we do carry on and the world keeps turning. ![]()
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