HR POLICY & PROCEDURE Dress Code Policy

1 Royal United Hospital, Bath NHS Trust Dress code POLICY Author : Mandy Rumble, Heather Cooper and Heidi Cox Job title: Clinical Manager Emergency Directorate, Theatre/ Elective Admissions Manager, Emergency Reception Manager Date: March 2009 Version: 1 HR POLICY & PROCEDURE Dress code POLICY Reference Number: 150/2009 Author / Manager Responsible: Francesca Thompson, Director of Nursing Mandy Rumble, Clinical Manager, Emergency Directorate, Heather Cooper, Theatre/Elective Admissions Manager and Heidi Cox, Emergency Reception Manager. Deadline for ratification: ( POLICY must be ratified within 6 months of review date) September 2009 Review Date: March 2010 Ratified by: TCNC and Management Board Date Ratified: March 2009 Related Policies Whole Hospital Security POLICY ID POLICY code of Expectations of Employees Managing Conduct POLICY & PROCEDURE Page 1 of 23 Review dates: March 2010 Royal United Hospital, Bath NHS Trust Dress code POLICY Author : Mandy Rumble, Heather Cooper and Heidi Cox Job title: Clinical Manager Emergency Directorate, Theatre/ Elective Admissions Manager, Emergency Reception Manager Date: March 2009 Version.

2 1 INDEX Section Page Consultation and Ratification - - - - - 3 POLICY Statement - - - - - - - 4 Introduction - - - - - - - - 5 Aim - - - - - - - - - 5 4. Responsibility - - - - - - - 6 Senior and Line Managers - - - - - 6 Linen Services - - - - - 6 All Staff - - - - - - - - 6 All staff with uniforms purchased by the Trust - - 7 5.

3 Professional Dress code for non uniform staff/contractors - 7 6. Uniformed Staff - - - - - - - 10 7. Consultation Checklist - - - - - - 22 Page 2 of 23 Review dates: March 2010 Royal United Hospital, Bath NHS Trust Dress code POLICY Author : Mandy Rumble, Heather Cooper and Heidi Cox Job title: Clinical Manager Emergency Directorate, Theatre/ Elective Admissions Manager, Emergency Reception Manager Date: March 2009 Version: 1 Page 3 of 23 Review dates: March 2010 Royal United Hospital, Bath NHS Trust Dress code POLICY Author : Mandy Rumble, Heather Cooper and Heidi Cox Job title: Clinical Manager Emergency Directorate, Theatre/ Elective Admissions Manager, Emergency Reception Manager Date: March 2009 Version: 1 Page 4 of 23 Review dates: March 2010 CONSULTATION AND RATIFICATION SCHEDULE Name and Title of Individual Date Consulted Uniform working group April 2008 onwards Director of Nursing September 2008 onwards Assistant Director of HR Director of medicine Risk Manager September 2008 onwards Assistant directors of nursing September 2008 onwards Medical Division Clinical Specialty Surgical Specialty Infection Control September 2008 onwards Director of Facilities September 2008 onwards Director of Finance September 2008 onwards Date POLICY e-mailed to POLICY coordinator Name of Committee Date of Committee Health and Safety September 2008 onwards Medical Division Committee Surgical Division Committee Specialty Division Committee TCNC POLICY Sub-group 16th July 2008 TCNC AND MANAGEMENT BOARD MARCH 2009 Royal United Hospital, Bath NHS Trust Dress code POLICY Author : Mandy Rumble, Heather Cooper and Heidi Cox Job title.

4 Clinical Manager Emergency Directorate, Theatre/ Elective Admissions Manager, Emergency Reception Manager Date: March 2009 Version: 1 Page 5 of 23 Review dates: March 2010 POLICY 1. POLICY Statement There are a number of key reasons for why the Trust requires its staff to meet at all times the clear standards of Dress set out in this POLICY and PROCEDURE . The main ones are set out below: Infection Control Ensuring that all staff follow the requirements of wearing appropriate clothing (see paragraph 2 below) which minimises the risk of infection transfer is a key part of maintaining patient and staff safety and giving confidence on this issue to patients, carers/relatives, visitors and fellow staff. It is also essential to ensuring that the staff and the Trust fully comply with the Health Act (2006) and the NHS Hygiene code . Health & Safety Protection from Hazards Ensuring that staff wear appropriate uniforms and all required protective wear is essential to protect all staff from hazards.

5 It is also essential to ensuring that the staff and the Trust fully comply with Health and Safety legislation. Health & Safety Moving & Handling - Ensuring that clothing is compatible with the safe handling and moving is essential to the safety of those staff and their patients. It is also essential to ensuring that the staff and the Trust fully comply with Health and Safety legislation. Professional Image Ensuring that all staff look smart, clean and professional is vital to reassuring to patients, relatives and visitors to the hospital that they will receive effective and high quality care in a clean environment. The consistency and standard of uniforms worn by staff working in the frontline with patients. The standards however apply regardless of whether the member of staff works in direct patient care / contact. Identification of Staff Ensuring that staff in clinical roles wear consistent and identifiable uniforms help patients, carers/relatives, visitors and fellow staff the role of the staff concerned.

6 Security The wearing of ID badges and other requirements is essential to ensuring the security of patients, carers/relatives, visitors and fellow staff. Royal United Hospital, Bath NHS Trust Dress code POLICY Author : Mandy Rumble, Heather Cooper and Heidi Cox Job title: Clinical Manager Emergency Directorate, Theatre/ Elective Admissions Manager, Emergency Reception Manager Date: March 2009 Version: 1 Page 6 of 23 Review dates: March 2010 The Trust has therefore agreed this POLICY and PROCEDURE to ensure that all of these requirements are met in full. It is the responsibility of all staff to comply with this POLICY and PROCEDURE and for managers to ensure that all their staff fully meet these requirements at all times. Fuller responsibilities are set out in the PROCEDURE below. Failure to follow the requirements set out in this POLICY & PROCEDURE may lead to investigation under the Trust Managing Conduct POLICY & PROCEDURE and may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

7 2. Introduction Bare below the elbow As of 1 January 2008, the bare below the elbow initiative has been implemented to adhere to Department of Health guidance as outlined by the Health Secretary in September 2007. The guidance has been introduced to ensure that staff wash their hands regularly and thoroughly to limit the spread of infection. It applies to non-uniformed clinical staff the clinical area is defined as when seeing patients in wards, during ward rounds and when examining patients in outpatient clinic . In summary the key points are: Sleeves rolled up to above the elbow, or wear short sleeved shirts/blouses Ties must be securely tucked in, or a bow tie or no tie can be worn No wrist watches Only one plain band ring can be worn (with no stones) White coats must not be worn (except in laboratories and The Department of Nuclear Medicine where they are worn as personal protective equipment) 3. Aim The aim of this document is to ensure that all staff both directly employed and contracted workers participating in duties within the Trust fully meet the standards set out in this POLICY & PROCEDURE at all times.

8 Royal United Hospital, Bath NHS Trust Dress code POLICY Author : Mandy Rumble, Heather Cooper and Heidi Cox Job title: Clinical Manager Emergency Directorate, Theatre/ Elective Admissions Manager, Emergency Reception Manager Date: March 2009 Version: 1 Page 7 of 23 Review dates: March 2010 PROCEDURE 1. Responsibilities This sets out the responsibilities in meeting the requirements set out in this POLICY & PROCEDURE . Head of Departments, Clinical Leads, Matrons and Line Manager are responsible for 1. Ensuring that uniforms are worn where required and that the standards of Dress set within this POLICY are adhered to. 2. Are responsible for the requisitioning and authorising of requests/orders for staff uniforms and that the correct uniform for the grade is requested. 3. The control records for the uniform deposit system 4. Are responsible for adaptation of this POLICY to ensure its appropriateness within their own work environment.

9 The Linen Services Department are responsible for 1. The purchase and issue of all nursing uniforms 2. The purchase and issue of all doctors uniforms 3. The labelling of all uniforms purchased by the trust 4. The alteration/fitting of all staff uniforms issued by the Trust 5. The recording of names of staff and the number and style of uniform issued. 6. The control records for the nurse uniform deposit system All staff are responsible for: 1. Wearing appropriate attire for their role. For most staff this means wearing a uniform specific to their service. 2. Where it is deemed appropriate that staff s own personal clothing is to be worn in clinical areas this must be made of a washable fabric. 3. It is the responsibility of the wearer to ensure that the uniform is clean & free from contamination, un-creased and in good repair. Royal United Hospital, Bath NHS Trust Dress code POLICY Author : Mandy Rumble, Heather Cooper and Heidi Cox Job title: Clinical Manager Emergency Directorate, Theatre/ Elective Admissions Manager, Emergency Reception Manager Date: March 2009 Version: 1 Page 8 of 23 Review dates: March 2010 All staff with uniforms bought by the Trust a.

10 For staff required to wear a Trust uniform, the individual staff member is personally responsible for organising and collecting their uniform from the linen room. It should be noted that there currently is a refundable deposit which staff are required to pay and which is deducted from the staff member s salary following the signing of an agreement form. b. All staff uniforms purchased by the trust MUST BE LABELLED. It should be recognised that blouses, shirts & jackets etc. (when approved for purchase) must have the Trust/NHS logo added prior to issue. Please note that any uniforms which are not labelled are considered in legal terms to be the property of the wearer. This means that staff will be liable for additional personal tax payments if they do not have their uniforms labelled as being the property of the NHS. c. Staff leaving the Trust must return their uniforms to the linen room, following which their deposit will be returned to them.