A "throw Away" World

[RATTER15]

A few day ago I was on a course on foot care where we were shown hot to cut peoples toe nails and certificated accordingly. On completion of the course we were all given a pair of toe nail clippers, they looked the business, highly polished very professional looking with nice padded grips and as sharp as a razor, they looked like they should be at least £20 a pair, we were all quite chuffed.

We were then told that they could be used once and then thrown away!

What a waste, I have found them online: £3.54 a pair complete with an emery board if you buy 100 http://justcarepodiatry.co.uk/products/instruments/sterile-single-use/susol-basic-set-sterile-pk100.html

Is it really more economical to replace them than to sterilize them, these are what are NHS tutors said they use daily.

[rosyposy]

Last time Mr Posy saw his NHS podiratrist he asked where he could buy those clippers and the podiratrist said 'take these, + a lovely long file which he was also throwing away,but please don't tell anyone or I will be in big trouble!!! Another person in the same clinic did the same for our neighbour.As you say Ratter they are very robust and will last ages, it is a sheer waste of money, no reason at all that they couldn't be sterilised as they do after operations surely. -rosy

[joggerjayne]

Do you think people buy the single use ones, so they can tick the "sterile practices" box, and then sterilise and re-use them?

Thinks, thinks, probably.

[mikey4444]

I have my tootsies done every month and my Chiropodist uses the same kit every time. She does use a steriliser however. It seems to be a criminal waste of money to throw out perfectly good nail clippers after one use.

[joggerjayne]

You have to admire anyone who can look after other peoples's feet.

I couldn't do it unless I fancied the person.

[RATTER15]

Lol JJ, I wouldnt say that I fancy any of my ladies but I do like to care for their every need (generally speaking) yes their toe nails can be rather unpleasant to treat sometimes, especially the damage that has been done to their toes after many years of being cramped into toe crunching pointed high heeled shoes.

[Ken4155]

With the NHS buying them in bulk, they wouldn't be £3.54 per pair. Would they? Wonder if Mr Osborne knows about this profligacy.

[joggerjayne]

I don't often wear high heels, because when I wear heels I'm about 6ft tall.

:0(

[RATTER15]

I agree Ken, £3.54 is a bulk purchase price but yes I can accept that they would buy huge quantities and get further discounts, but also the cost of sterilizing them would also be far cheaper for the NHS.

[Khandro]

Ratter; On the link you gave they appear to cost £354.00 a pair !!

[RATTER15]

Khandro, look again, that price is for 100 pairs lol

[Khandro]

Sorry, it says pk100

[Dee Sa]

talking of NHS wasting money, last year my late hubby CS was discharged from hospital with promise of a walking frame and commode to be delivered to our home, unfortunately he was rushed back into hospital and died, so the items were delivered and still had the wrappings on them, phoned hospital and asked could I return them -- oh no they are classed as used, me- but they have not been used and still have your wrapping on them- nothing to do with us anymore please dispose of them ! I then rang the Red Cross and they said they are definitely second hand and not wanted by us, how much money is actually wasted like this ? another time he was supposed to have special shoes because he was a very bad diabetic we collected the first pair and they said they would order a spare pair but these shoes were uncomfortable and caused blisters so I rang the clinic to cancel the second pair they were most disinterested and when we went for second appt there were the shoes we had tried to cancel when we explained the podiatrist just dropped them in the waste bin. Once again I ask how much money is wasted like this ?

[Khandro]

As they are made of good steel, I hope at least they are re-cycled.
Last week a guy pushed through the letter boxes of everyone in my village and all surrounding ones a leaflet to say he would collect any unwanted bicycles. I saw him driving away a few days later in a large Hungarian-registered van, packed with bikes inside and on the roof and in a large trailer. No doubt he would repair and/or cannibalise them and sell them. Good luck to him I thought.

[TWR]

Talk about wasting money! , the Community house where I was working, I could tell you a storey or 2 about waste.

[DrFilth]

for some things it will not be worth it to have them sterilised and i hope that if they ever cut mine they would use new ones

if i was to get a germ from a used item in my foot i would be looking at amputation not a cure

it is like saying this needle is still sharp what a waste

[RATTER15]

DrFilth, you cant really compare needles to toenail clippers and if they are sterilized properly they would be as sterile as new ones.

[DrFilth]

RATTER from the first line of my post
> for some things it will not be worth it to have them sterilised <

i did not work for the nhs but the firm where i worked found out it was cheaper to buy an item by the box (1000 items ) than pay to have them cleaned

[mrs_overall]

My chiropodist has an autoclave and he sterilises and re-uses clippers etc.
I admire anyone who can work with feet. I feel sick looking at a packet of pork scratchings as they remind me of my late gran's toenails. Yuk.

I have a magnificent collection of scissors courtesy of the NHS. I have had nurses open a new pair simply to cut a sterile dressing to size and then they are supposed to throw them away.

[Eve]

When I go to podiatry they always get out a new kits out of a sealed packet to use and I think everything is thrown away afterwards. Definitely the emery board as I was allowed to take on with me once as they said it would only be chucked away and it was hardly used. It's brilliant.

I guessed they don't want the chance of someone picking up an infection or something and blaming the equipment for not being properly sterilised, whether it was the equipment or not.

It's sad so much may be about preventing potential claims these days.