Sustainable personal protective equipment (PPE) in the health service will be the focus of a public lecture and exhibition at Worcester’s new medical school.
The exhibition is a showcase of Arts and Humanities Research Council funded research into the development of a sustainable uniform for nurses and surgeons.
Designed to benefit medical staff, patients and the environment, the personal protective equipment has been designed within a circular system, involving the repurposing of used garments within healthcare, and the fashion and textile industry.
Professor Kay Mohanna from the Three Counties Medical School said: “The exhibition taps into the creative expertise of people who work in fashion and design and brings it together with the need for the NHS to be mindful of sustainability.”
She continued: “It’s really important for our students, the clinicians of the future, to be thinking about the impact they can have on the environment, because planetary health has an impact on human health.”
The exhibition is centred around a reusable PPE gown for nurses and surgeons designed to avoid landfill waste, as well as work showcasing creative ways to upcycle used gowns into new products.
The reusable gown was created by a team led by Professor Katherine Townsend from Nottingham School of Art and Design at Nottingham Trent University.
Professor Townsend said: “Early in the COVID pandemic I read lots of reports about healthcare workers being uncomfortable in single use, one sized, isolation gowns, most of which were being imported.”
She continued: “I had the idea to make a more fit-for-purpose, reusable gown based on feedback from nursing professionals. With the support of funding from the Arts & Humanities Research Council and UK partners Anze Ltd and Revolution-Zero we made and tested this prototype.”
A public lecture will mark the launch of the exhibition, exploring the newly designed reusable gown’s development and design, the repurposing and refashioning initiatives and the project’s next stages.
Professor Townsend said: “The lecture will focus on our vision for a circular PPE system which has environmental and societal benefits.
Professor Kay Mohanna added: “It’s an opportunity for people to come and see the inside of the medical school while finding out about sustainability in the health service.”
PPE Reimagined will be on display at the Elizabeth Garrett-Anderson building on the University’s Severn Campus from 28 April – 13 June.
To book your place at the public lecture on Monday, 28 April, please follow this link.
For information on courses at the University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries, telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk
