Every RJAH member of staff now has a free period

Shropshire’s specialist orthopaedic hospital has introduced free period products for staff, in a bid to further support their wellbeing.

As part of ongoing cost-of-living support at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, boxes with day pads and tampons have been delivered to toilets in wards and departments across the hospital site. 

The Oswestry-based hospital is one of the first NHS Trust’s in England giving staff free sanitary products. 

Olivia Evans, Improvement, Innovation and Effectiveness Facilitator, said: “At RJAH we prioritise the wellbeing of our colleagues and we aim to ensure staff are treated with empathy, dignity, and respect. 

“I have been passionate about giving staff free sanitary products and held a trial with specific teams earlier this year. We received great feedback from the trial and are now in the position to offer this to all 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.” 

RJAH are providing the sanitary products, which have been sourced from Hey Girls. 

Olivia added: “Hey Girls ensure their products offer the functionality of plastic, but without the pollution – day pads are made with responsibly-sourced bamboo and the tampons are made with 100% cotton and a recycled cardboard applicator. 

“Both the day pads and tampons are chemical and perfume free, do not contain plastic and the packaging is fully biodegradable in six months.” 

The day pads and tampons are available to staff in easily accessible boxes, which have been donated by the League of Friends. 

Victoria Sugden, League of Friends Charity Director, said: “This is a positive step forward for RJAH and the League of Friends are more than pleased to support such an important initiative.” 

The provision of environmentally-friendly period products also supports the Trust’s Green Plan – which aims for the hospital to significantly reduce its carbon emissions by 2024. 

Stacey Keegan, Chief Executive, 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.”