Single-use medical plastics in healthcare: an ethnographic study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An ethnographic study of single-use medical plastics in a London teaching hospital. ESRC-funded Doctoral Research Project, UCL Geography/UCL Rapid Research Evaluation and Appraisal Lab
IRAS ID
345914
Contact name
Olivia Holtermann Entwistle
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2024/07/140, UCL data protection office registration
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 5 days
Research summary
The National Health Service (NHS) produces approximately 133,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually, a significant proportion of which comprises single-use plastic (SUP) medical consumables such as gloves, face masks, intravenous infusion bags and medical tubing. Medical SUPs result in detrimental environmental effects throughout their lifecycle, contributing to climate change, which represents a critical threat to public health, as well as other processes of environmental pollution, including microplastic and air pollution.
Improving the environmental sustainability of healthcare is a priority nationally and internationally and will offer financial savings and improvements in public health. NHS England has committed to becoming a 'Net Zero' organization by 2045. A key element of this strategy involves transitioning away from single-use products. Despite these targets, the NHS remains heavily reliant on SUPs. Existing research has focused primarily on quantifying the amount of plastic waste produced by the healthcare sector. There is limited qualitative research exploring the underlying reasons for healthcare's reliance on medical SUPs.
The aim of this Economics and Social Research Council funded doctoral research project is to explore the complex cultural and practical ways in which medical SUPs have become embedded in healthcare work. It will employ qualitative ethnographic methods, combining observation, interviews and documentary analysis. The study focuses on the experiences, perceptions and working practices of NHS staff. The aim is to undertake 30-40 staff interviews alongside observation over a period of 6-9 months. In addition, 5-10 interviews will be conducted with external experts with knowledge concerning the design, manufacturing and regulation of medical SUPs.
Data collection and analysis will be carried out in parallel. Data from observation, interviews and documentary analysis will be imported into NVivo and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings of the study will reveal cultural and practical barriers to transitioning to environmentally sustainable alternatives to medical SUPs.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SC/0088
Date of REC Opinion
22 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion