A new system is set to be introduced to Black Country Pathology Services to reduce plastic use following a successful trial within primary care.

The move away from plastic bags for blood samples to the Indexor Solutions tube racking system will improve the efficiency of the service whilst removing 44.6 tonnes of plastic per year.

As the trial has been so successful in primary care, it is now ready to be rolled out to the Hub at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital as well as Essential Services Labs.

Ninette Harris, Sustainability Lead with The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said: “We’re looking forward to rolling out this new system across the Black Country and reducing our environmental impact.

“We know from speaking to our primary care colleagues that this has made a positive impact and this an effective way for us to start to decarbonise BCPS as a joint initiative across all four Black Country Trusts. The old bagging system negatively impacted our carbon footprint and our teams are always keen to look at ways that we can reduce this.

Fran Silcocks, Head of Sustainability at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said: “We are committed to reducing waste and our carbon footprint. This project is an excellent pathway to transition us towards more resource efficient ways of working and supports our net carbon zero ambitions.”

Kerry Steadman, Community Anticoagulation and Phlebotomy Services Co-ordinator, said the pilot had been “extremely positive.”

She added: “Staff are more than happy to use it. I have used the system myself and it’s far easier to manage in clinics than the previous bagging system.”

The Indexor system is currently installed at Phlebotomy sites linked to New Cross. Implementation within targeted Dudley locations should start later this year.

BCPS is the collaboration of all four acute Black Country and West Birmingham NHS Trusts – The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.