Gloves Off, One Year On
The Gloves Off campaign launched last May with a clear ambition to reduce the unnecessary use of disposable gloves while strengthening infection prevention, supporting sustainability, and reinforcing good hand hygiene practice.
A year on, the impact has gone far beyond expectations.
The Health Board-wide campaign was led by Shaping Change, working in close partnership with clinical teams to understand not only how gloves were being used, but the reasons behind their use. Initial work had already been undertaken in Critical Care, where a pilot built on this foundation through further staff engagement, surveys, audits and observation, creating a comprehensive picture of behaviours and underlying drivers.
Through dedicated service improvement and communications support, Shaping Change helped bring structure, insight and consistency to the work. This included developing a robust understanding of the challenges associated with glove use, identifying the behaviours driving unnecessary use, and putting in place clear ways to measure change.
Insights from more than 400 staff across the UHB shaped the campaign’s approach, leading to the development of clear, evidence-based resources and carefully considered campaign materials, including a practical Gloves Guide and targeted posters for both staff and patients.
These were tested in Critical Care and the Emergency Department before being rolled out more widely, ensuring the campaign was grounded in real-world practice.
The pilot phase alone delivered significant results. Between January and May 2025:
326,000 fewer gloves used
1.1 tonnes of clinical waste avoided
£9,810 in cost avoidance
A carbon saving equivalent to driving around the world two and a half times!
This early success informed the UHB-wide launch on World Hand Hygiene Day (5 May 2025), with a target to reduce glove ordering by 10% over the following year.
Infection Prevention & Control, Procurement, Health & Safety, Public Health, ECOD, and both clinical and non-clinical teams worked collaboratively throughout this campaign to shape and deliver the work. This partnership approach ensured the campaign remained clinically credible.
Delivering impact at scale
The introduction of dashboard in late 2025 enabled accurate tracking across departments and a clear understanding of system-wide impact.
Between May 2025 and February 2026, the results speak for themselves:
3.3 million fewer gloves ordered
£103,520 cost avoidance
Carbon savings equivalent to 12 return flights from London to Perth
Looking at the bigger picture, the reduction is even more striking. In 2024, 31 million gloves were ordered across the UHB. This fell to 27 million in 2025, and with 6 million ordered so far in 2026, usage is continuing to track lower.
Financial data mirrors this trend. Spend reduced from £916k in 2024 to £800k in 2025, a saving of £116k (around 13%), with £189k recorded so far in 2026, indicating sustained change.
Taken together, these figures demonstrate not just reduced ordering, but a meaningful shift in behaviour, supporting more appropriate glove use in clinical practice, reducing waste, and delivering environmental and financial benefits at scale.
Cultural Change
Alongside the numbers, staff feedback highlights a meaningful shift in awareness and practice. Colleagues report greater confidence in knowing when gloves are, and aren’t needed, alongside improved understanding of hand hygiene. This cultural change has been central to the campaign’s success.
“I am much more aware of when and where gloves are needed. I am happy with gloves off with the right patient and situation. I do feel it makes me more aware of hand hygiene”
“It feels great to help reduce our glove usage”
“It’s taken me a while to get my head around but I think it’s a really good change”
“Posters are great, it’s a clear message and is easy to get onboard with”
The impact of Gloves Off has been recognised beyond the UHB:
Winner of the NHS Wales Sustainability Award for Spread and Scale (2025)
Shortlisted for the HEIW Improvement Prize (2026)
Resources adopted nationally across Wales
Highlighted by the Royal College of Nursing as a potential exemplar
What's next?
With its objectives achieved and exceeded the campaign is now moving into business as usual. Gloves Off has shown what’s possible when insight, collaboration and clear communication come together, turning a simple idea into measurable environmental, financial and behavioural change.