A Shropshire hospital says it is now one of the first in England’s NHS to provide free period products for its staff.
The move by The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital is in response to the cost-of-living crisis.
“This is a small but significant step to addressing women’s health in the workplace”
Stacey Keegan
Free pads and tampons are now in place in ward and department toilets across the specialist hospital, which is based in Oswestry.
Olivia Evans, improvement, innovation and effectiveness facilitator, said her team trialled free period products with some teams earlier this year and the initiative received “great feedback”.
The hospital was now able to roll it out for all teams, which Ms Evans said would support the wellbeing of staff.
“We initially launched cost-of-living support in the autumn of 2022, with a series of measures designed to help staff navigate the cost-of-living crisis which has overwhelmed the country, and I’m delighted that free period products are now part of this programme,” she added.
The products chosen are “chemical and perfume free, do not contain plastic and the packaging is fully biodegradable in six months”, added Ms Evans.
Stacey Keegan, chief executive of the hospital, said: “This is a small but significant step to addressing women’s health in the workplace.
“Periods are a normal part of life and providing free period products for emergency situations can make a big difference to our staff’s comfort and wellbeing.
“Thank you to the teams who have made this possible.”