Medical staff who wear religious head coverings will now be able to wear them in the operating theatres thanks to a new disposable design.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust has introduced new single-use hijabs to help improve safe practice and inclusivity.

Head coverings are now routinely available at the hospital in a disposable format, adding to the standard operating theatre hat.

The new style of head covering meets the strict uniform requirements for operating theatre staff, who must wear sterile and disposable clothing such as scrubs, surgical gloves and gowns to reduce the risk of patients contracting an infection.

The item was first launched as a disposable hijab at an NHS hospital in Derby by Muslim doctor Farah Roslan.

Inspired by this idea, Medway NHS Foundation Trust’s head of nursing, Jane Westhead, worked to bring the items to the trust as a way of improving safe practice and inclusivity for those who wear head coverings or veils for religious purposes or as part of their faith and culture.

She said: "In the theatres department we proudly represent the values of the organisation, including working together and making sure every person counts.

"We think this is a clear example of the inclusivity we strive to promote within the team, and more widely across the hospital.

"Theatres staff have welcomed the initiative and we have received fantastic feedback from some our new surgical doctors, who celebrated that we had disposable head covers as an option at Medway.

"They are cost effective, promote safe practice within the operating environment, and importantly, allow our diverse colleagues to represent their faith and cultures while at work.

"The new head covering is also a great option for theatre work wear, as in addition to religious and cultural reasons, it is suitable for staff with textured, natural or long hair that can be difficult to cover with a standard theatre hat.’’

The practice of people wearing head covers and veils for religious purposes is an integral part of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and many other cultures.

'This is the latest positive step to making Medway a more inclusive place to work...'

In Christianity, women were guided by the bible to cover their heads to signify spiritual submission to God and their husbands.

Muslim women cover their heads and part of their face in accordance with the Islamic principle of dressing modestly.

Jayne Black, chief executive at the trust, said: ‘‘We are proud of the diverse workforce that represents our trust and the wider NHS, and we are delighted to be supporting colleagues in this way.

"This is the latest positive step to making Medway a more inclusive place to work, particularly for our staff within theatres, and we hope it will have a significant impact.’’