PPE Reimagined

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Townsend, K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2212-2511 and Pagett, B ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0247-2711, 2025. PPE Reimagined. Elizabeth Garrett Andersen Building, Three Counties Medical School, University of Worcester, Worcester, 28 April 2025 - 16 Jun 2025.

PPE Reimagined exhibition poster

Item Type:	Exhibition
Creators:	Townsend, K. and Pagett, B.
Contributors:	Name Role NTU ID ORCID Townsend, K. Curator of an exhibition UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Pagett, B. Curator of an exhibition UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
Date:	28 April 2025
Abstract:	Sustainable personal protective equipment (PPE) in the health service will be the focus of a public lecture and exhibition at Worcester’s new medical school. The exhibition is a showcase of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded research into the development of a sustainable uniform for nurses and surgeons. Designed to benefit medical staff, patients and the environment, the PPE has been designed within a Circular System, involving the repurposing of used garments within healthcare, and the fashion and textile industry. Professor Kay Mohanna from the University of Worcester’s Three Counties Medical School said: “The exhibition taps into the creative expertise of people who work in fashion and design and brings it together with the need for the NHS to be mindful of sustainability.” She continued: “It’s really important for our students, the clinicians of the future, to be thinking about the impact they can have on the environment, because planetary health has an impact on human health.” The exhibition is centred around a reusable PPE gown for nurses and surgeons, designed to avoid landfill, alongside work showcasing creative ways to upcycle used gowns into new products. The reusable gown was created by a team led by Professor Katherine Townsend from Nottingham Trent University, in collaboration with industry and NHS partners. Professor Townsend said: “Early in the COVID pandemic I read a lot of reports about healthcare workers being uncomfortable in single-use, one-sized, isolation gowns, most of which were being imported.” She continued: “I had the idea to make a more fit-for-purpose, reusable gown based on feedback from nursing professionals. With the support of AHRC funding and UK partners, Anze Ltd and Revolution-ZERO we made and tested this prototype.” A public lecture will mark the launch of the exhibition, exploring the gown’s design development, the repurposing and refashioning initiatives and the project’s next stages. Professor Townsend said: “The lecture will focus on our vision for a Circular PPE System which has environmental and societal benefits.” Professor Kay Mohanna added: “It’s an opportunity for people to come and see the inside of the medical school while finding out about sustainability in the health service.”
Rights:	Press article in Worcester news: https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/25080313.university-worcester-exhibition-showcase-sustainable-ppe/
Event Location:	Elizabeth Garrett Andersen Building, Three Counties Medical School, University of Worcester, Worcester
Event Dates:	28 April 2025 - 16 Jun 2025
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham School of Art & Design
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	27 Aug 2025 16:19
Last Modified:	27 Aug 2025 16:26
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54267
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