[Letter] The GP gloves are off! Keeping clinical examination sustainable

‘The gloves are off’ campaign highlights excessive glove use, and the procedures for which they are not needed.¹ It also promotes hand hygiene as sufficient for many tasks, for example, routine examination of patients and phlebotomy. The campaign, however, focused on hospital settings. Unlike many hospital trusts, guidelines for GPs on glove use appear to be lacking. GPs and their patients may, thus, be less aware of the environmental harm and human rights abuses arising from glove manufacture and use.^2,3 Patients, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, may believe gloves are always necessary in primary care to reduce infection risk.

As many surgeries follow a partnership model, senior GPs are financially responsible for the resources used. Employees are, therefore, motivated to reduce the use of gloves, non-sterile gowns, cleaning equipment, and other disposable items. Changes proposed by the shadow Labour government to rescind the partnership model could, as an indirect consequence, increase glove use leading to unnecessary waste, cost, and environmental harm.⁴

The challenge of disposable item use in general practice has been overlooked and extends beyond gloves. We call for simple, national guidelines for GPs and patients to address this concern.