The Local Authority are introducing a new clinical waste collection service from 5th May and details are as follows:

New service from 5 May 2015 for collection of:

• Needles/syringes collection from patients home who are self-injecting. (collection not applicable for patients receiving services from District Nurses)
• Collection of infectious waste from patients’ home (as assessed by Essentia), supply of orange bags.
• Where there is joint responsibility – it is expected that it is the responsibility of the person undertaking the majority of the care.

Other Clinical waste:

• Continence supplies should be disposed of in black refuse sacks and placed into the patients own general waste stream other than where there is an identified infection control hazard – when the patient will be supplied with an orange bag and a clinical waste collection arranged.

Process to follow for patients requiring clinical infectious waste collection/sharp boxes:

GP Practices are required to supply the patients’ initial sharps box. This can either be physically from the surgery or through prescription from a pharmacy. To arrange a collection, please pass on the Essentia details below to the patient who will call directly to arrange a collection. Neither Essentia nor the Council require patient details to be sent to us prior to a collection being arranged.

• Collection is then set up within 48 hours
• Provider of clinical waste: Essentia (www.essentia.gstt.nhs.uk)
• Telephone contact number: 020 8254 8337
• The patient can arrange their own collection online without calling Essentia by simply filling out a WIRE form by clicking on the following link www.wire.paradisii.net and clicking onto the middle blue box marked ‘Self Medicating’.
• (Phone line is manned Mon-Fri 09:00-16:30)