NHS staff are being told to change sheets only if necessary due to hospitals’ laundry shortages –

Hospital staff have been instructed to change linens only “if necessary”, as the NHS is short of clean linen.

Industry leaders warn that healthcare is facing a supply crisis that could have a “domino effect” on bed numbers.

An email seen by The Independent told Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust staff to “follow good infection prevention and control practices, but change underwear only if necessary”.

David Stevens of the Textile Services Association, which represents laundry companies, said Brexit and the pandemic had created a labor shortage that made it difficult to meet demand for healthcare and accommodation.

A spokesperson for the NHS London Procurement Partnership said they saw “demands for higher prices … and the willingness of suppliers to cancel contracts if those demands are not met”.

In an internal email to staff last month, a senior official said last month the trust and NHS are “having serious problems with the flax supply chain” to staff at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and the problem is “very real”.

The email seen by The Independent reads: ‘Follow good infection prevention and control practices, but change underwear only if necessary.

“For example, always change bedding between patients, but don’t change hospital beds every day if possible.”

Laundry staff at Kingston Hospital, Croydon Hospital, Epsom and St Helier Hospital and St George’s Hospital were also recently alerted by the South West London Supply Partnership of laundry delays and supply chain shortages.

Purchasing teams were urged not to override it as an emergency measure for fear this could lead to further shortages.

Hospitals in Yorkshire and Humberside are also said to be aware of disruptions in bed availability.

Mr Stevens added: “There is a potential problem with the supply of linen within the NHS until we see a return to a more normal business situation.

“We are going through tough times as an industry. Post-Covid and post-Brexit we no longer have access to a broad labor market for the laundry sector, both in the healthcare sector and the catering sector.

“First, we have the extra pressure to get the product.” He explained that high demand for supply after the easing of Covid restrictions was “painful” due to further blockades in China and the blockade of the Suez Canal.

“There have also been some unsuccessful crops in cotton,” he continued.

Stevens said 4,000 of the total of 24,000 laundry jobs in the UK were vacant in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.

Purchasing teams have been urged not to overorder as a precautionary measure, fearing it could lead to more laundry shortages in hospitals.

The situation has improved, but staff retraining takes time, he added.

Recently, due to the increase in energy prices, production costs have also increased.

‘Energy prices were very high and there was no energy ceiling for the trade sector.

“We’ve seen examples of increases of up to 300 percent and this has a significant impact, with energy accounting for more than 10 percent of total laundry costs.”

Costs for drivers and engineers also rose 10-15% due to Brexit.