Following a series of consultations, the national uniform project, led by NHS Supply chain, has come to an end. This consultation was designed to make the professional identity of occupational therapists consistent across NHS Trusts.
Working with NHS staff and allied health professionals (AHPs) – including RCOT – NHS Supply Chain, working in tandem with NHS England, has unveiled and confirmed the new standardised uniform design for individual professions in England. The new uniforms include a colour trim to represent each profession.
What is the new uniform?
Taking in the responses and comments from our members and other occupational therapists to the most recent consultation (completed in January 2023), the standardised uniform for occupational therapists in the English NHS will be:
- a white smart scrub tunic edged with a green trim
- black or navy blue trousers.
You can read NHS Supply chain’s announcement and access the data they collected on the NHS Supply Chain website.
Why is our uniform changing?
This change is designed to make uniforms more accessible with lower initial and maintenance costs and is intended to make NHS procurement systems more sustainable as the UK works to meet it’s 2050 net zero targets.
To keep sustainability at its heart the roll-out process will be gradual, with new uniform planned on being physically available in January 2024 at the earliest – this gives time for current stock to be used. You will notice other AHP’s uniforms change too over the next 12 months to either white or berry coloured smart-scrub tunics edged in their profession-specific colour, paired with black or navy-blue trousers.
Full details of the national uniform project, including the confirmed designs and rollout plans, are available on the NHS Supply Chain website.
How has RCOT represented members?
We represented the views of our members throughout the national uniform project, emphasising why it’s important to uphold our historic professional identity and reflecting members’ concerns about the timing of the project and its consultations – this change has coincided with considerable workforce challenges across the NHS that run far deeper than uniform.
Standardised uniform and procurement are already in place in Scotland and Wales, with this project bringing England in line with the process.
Although procurement options have been limited, it has been agreed that NHS Trusts will still be able to choose whether they adopt the standardised design or continue to procure alternative items locally. Some common uniform items such as polo shirts, sweatshirts and cardigans are outside the scope of the project and Trusts will continue to order these through local arrangements.
What should I do next?
Your NHS Trust will set its own delivery timeline for implementation so please speak with them if you have any questions about their process or wait to hear from them.
Share details about the uniform changes with those you’re working with and your local community. For safety reasons it is important that those we work with know what to look out for and it’ll support occupational therapy’s recognition in hospitals and in the community.
We expect NHS Trusts to continue to listen to occupational therapists and other AHPs during their uniform implementation process. This conversation should still focus on professional identity, increasing cost efficiency, sustainability and patient safety.
Our sincere thanks to all those who shared their comments with us at each step of the consultation period.