NHS COSTCUTTER

MOnEy-SAvInG tricks for nHS hospitals. This week: Overnight essentials AFTER nursing staff at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust found that they were constantly running out of the same overnight essentials for patients admitted unexpectedly, they introduced a ‘patient pack’.

It contains toiletries such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shower gel, shampoo, a comb and hairbrush. Some also have a razor.

Nurses had been ordering items individually based on what they thought would be needed, leading to wastage.

Buying the packs saves the hospital £9,000 a year.

‘This is a great way of ensuring that, for patients who need them, everything is in one place and they can be stored neatly and cleanly in their locker,’ says Sue Johnson, head of nursing for surgery at the hospital.