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Improving the flexibility of your domestic services operations

  • 28/07/2024
  • Written by NOE CPC

In the fast-paced environment of healthcare, every second counts. Have you ever considered how a switch in your sanitary supplies could improve your team's efficiency?

Flexibility in product solutions is key to tackling common challenges in healthcare operations, especially within your estates and domestic teams, and the adoption of a Hand Towel Roll system can provide just that.

 

The Importance of Flexibility

Paper Hygiene Products are part of the range of framework agreements provided by NHS Supply Chain: Facilities and Office Solutions. This product range accounts for 30% of all activity though our whole suite of framework agreements.

Did you know: the NHS spend approximately £22 million every year on hand towel products?

Within this framework our specialist team have worked with trusts to understand your needs and have provided a wide scope of products to meet the varied requirements in each clinical setting.

Streamlining processes to be more efficient is essential for NHS organisations looking to meet the current financial challenges. By integrating more flexible solutions you could have a compelling way to contribute to these efforts.

One such product; which has developed further in the latest retender for this framework is the increase in hand towel roll options.

 

Why choose hand towel rolls

One of the main features of a hand towel rolls system is the high capacity of the dispensers, making these fully closed systems ideal for busy areas. In the latest iteration of this essential framework agreement the variety of product options grew from the original 4 to 13 with almost all suppliers offering this option. Allowing you the flexibility chose the perfect fit for your specific requirements.

Whilst there are multiple options available, this product type offers a range of products with the same fundamental benefits to sustainability – a core consideration for all organisations. Hand towel rolls are designed to deliver against four main outcomes:

  • To minimise waste
  • Reduced labour time (fill time)
  • Reduce and prevent the risk of infection
  • Offer value-based cost savings

The products are designed to encourage a change in how they are used; by encouraging users to take less towels each time – minimising the product waste in each use, leading to further advantages such as reduced need to empty waste receptacles, freeing up the vital time of your domestic and estates team members, ultimately culminating in a reduced amount of product being used, and therefore reducing the cost of product needed.

Our team are currently working with suppliers of these products to develop a tool that will outline an averaged potential impact, allowing trusts to identify the potential benefits both environmental and financial, on a general average across all suppliers.

Additionally, evidence cases are being developed with trusts that have already implemented this change to illustrate with specific values the improvements you will be able to achieve through this product switching opportunity.

 

Let’s talk about your options

Seamlessly integrating new products into existing systems is crucial to maintaining workflow continuity. Hand towel rolls are designed to fit into a of variety clinical areas and each supplier can outline the key product benefits to allow you to identify the product to best suit your organisation’s needs.

Imagine a healthcare operation where efficiency and adaptability are seamlessly integrated into everyday processes. By considering a switch to hand towel rolls, you open the door to a more flexible, efficient, and sustainable future for your team.

Discover how this change could transform your operations, saving both time and resources, and speak with our team about the options available to you. Our Paper Hygiene Products Implementation Specialist; Saffron Stockwell is available to guide you through the process and can be contacted at: saffron.stockwell@supplychain.nhs.uk.

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