Tattoos and false eyelashes okay as trust relaxes uniform rules
Posted 20 May 2024 - 13:30
An NHS trust is relaxing uniform rules to make them more inclusive, so nurses can wear false eyelashes, facial stud piercings and display non-offensive tattoos
Nurses at a Bolton trust will now be allowed to wear false eyelashes, facial stud piercings and display non-offensive tattoos.
Front-line staff at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust will also be able to wear black non-branded trainers and dye their hair any colour.
The move comes after Bolton NHS Foundation Trust announced it was modernising its uniform policy to celebrate inclusivity and allow staff to express individuality.
The trust will also be working to emphasise infection prevention control, focusing on good practice in hand-washing across its sites.
Evidence shows such changes do not increase risk of spreading germs, says chief nurse
Chief nurse Tyrone Roberts said: ‘Our new policy reflects our move to celebrate inclusivity and allow people to be their whole self in the modern workplace.
‘We felt it was time to bring our policy up to date and reflect some of the changes in attitudes in modern life and to become more inclusive.
‘Evidence shows these changes do not increase the risk of spreading germs and we’ll be placing our focus on hand-washing, which can massively reduce the spread of infections.
Mr Roberts added that the care, treatment and safety of patients was the most important thing to patients, as well as positive communication. ‘It’s the things that we say and do that matter the most to our patients, so if we can get that right we can also celebrate who we truly are,’ he said.
Nail varnish and hooped earrings stay on banned list
What are the changes?
- Restrictions on number of piercings, including facial ones, have been lifted
- False eyelashes, as long as they are natural length, are now permitted
- Covering tattoos – inoffensive tattoos can be displayed
- Restrictions on hair colour have been lifted
- No trainers – now black, non-branded trainers are fine as long as they are flat and fluid repellent
Some guidelines are still in place, including:
- No hooped earrings – any piercings must be studs
- No nail varnish (including clear) or nail additions of any kind (gel acrylic/artificial) as there remains evidence that suggests that there is an infection risk
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