Partnership delivers smart, reusable PPE solutions

RFiD Discovery and Welspring have partnered to offer high-quality, reusable and trackable protective garments for frontline healthcare workers.

The partnership combines Welspring’s expertise in developing and supplying high-performing and long-lasting protective gowns with RFiD Discovery’s experience in tracking assets in healthcare settings.

With clear environmental benefits, the combined solution provides a less expensive alternative to disposable gowns and the location of all gowns can be tracked in real time to ensure stock is available in key locations.

Working to ensure PPE availability — even in major health crises — Welspring is pursuing a long lifespan for its gowns of up to 300 washes, compared with a typical 75 from other providers. Because it is vital that gowns are used only for the specified number of washes, the RFID system automatically records the number of times each garment has been processed. To achieve this, every garment is fitted with a specialist RFID tag at the point of manufacture.

The technology allows healthcare providers to:

• automatically track items through the whole cycle of storage, use, transport, cleaning and back into storage for full visibility;
• monitor stock levels in key locations to ensure sufficient stock is available to satisfy demand;
• access historical usage data to inform future planning and purchase decisions;
• ensure the correct number of items sent to the laundry are returned after cleaning to minimise losses and prevent waste.

RFiD Discovery Lead RFID Consultant Simon Dawkins said, “We are extremely proud to be working with Welspring to deliver this amazing solution which helps hospitals better manage vital PPE supplies whilst cutting costs and lessening their environmental impact.”

Welspring Managing Director Brendon Rowse added, “In joining forces with RFiD Discovery, we are excited to be pioneering innovative, safe and high-quality solutions that will yield great outcomes for customers in the UK, Australia and beyond.”