Daisygrip Reusable Tourniquet Trial

This project was completed as part of the 2026 Hampshire Hospitals NHS FT Green Team Competition. 

Team members

• Lara Wells, Operational Manager POCT & Phlebotomy
• Abbi-Rose Sherwood, Phlebotomy Team Leader (RHCH)
• Maria Vieira, Phlebotomy Team Leader (BNHH)
• Sally Bowie, Phlebotomy Team Leader (AWMH)

Contributors: 

Connie Burton (Department Manager, Phlebotomy and Specimen Reception) and James Freeburn (Facilities Admin & Project Manager). 

Setting / patient group

The project was undertaken across outpatient phlebotomy services at all three sites of Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust. The service sees patients aged five years and over from a wide range of clinical and demographic backgrounds. The project focused on outpatient phlebotomy, which accounts for more than 60% of the Trust's tourniquet use, equivalent to approximately 178,000 blood tests annually. 

Issue

The Trust currently uses disposable tourniquets for all venepuncture procedures. In phlebotomy alone, this results in the disposal of approximately 270,000 tourniquets each year. The team identified tourniquets as a significant source of avoidable waste, carbon emissions and cost. Staff feedback from a previous Green Team project highlighted reusable tourniquets as a potential opportunity to reduce environmental impact while maintaining safe and effective care. 

Intervention

The team conducted a four-week trial of reusable Daisygrip tourniquets across outpatient phlebotomy departments at three hospital sites. A standard operating procedure was developed and approved by Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), staff received training and competency assessments, and stakeholder engagement was undertaken with IPC, procurement, stores and operational teams. Feedback was gathered from both patients and staff using surveys, and environmental, financial and social impacts were assessed using activity data and carbon footprint analysis. The project aimed to replace 80% of disposable tourniquets used in outpatient phlebotomy by January 2027.

Potential Outcomes

Clinical

No adverse impacts on patient outcomes were anticipated. The project aimed to maintain the same standard of safe and effective care while reducing environmental and financial costs. Patient feedback was largely positive, with 91% of respondents stating they would be happy to use a reusable tourniquet again. Patients reported greater comfort with the Daisygrip tourniquet than with disposable tourniquets. Staff identified concerns relating to skin pinching and achieving adequate tightness but reported that the devices were easy to use, easy to clean and adaptable for different limb sizes. 

Environmental

The carbon footprint of current disposable tourniquet use was estimated at 6,742 kgCO₂e per year. Replacing disposable tourniquets with reusable Daisygrip tourniquets and associated cleaning processes would reduce emissions to approximately 1,005 kgCO₂e annually. This represents a projected saving of 5,734kgCO₂e each year. The report notes additional potential reductions through the use of alternative cleaning wipes. 

Financial

Annual costs associated with disposable tourniquets were estimated at £9,605, including procurement and waste disposal. The reusable Daisygrip system was estimated to cost £1,585 annually, including purchase, cleaning materials and waste disposal. This represents a projected annual saving of £8,020. The report notes that charitable funding would offset initial implementation costs for approximately 18 months. 

Social

Patient feedback was strongly supportive of the proposed change, with 463 survey responses collected during the trial. Staff engagement identified practical implementation challenges and helped inform amendments to cleaning procedures and training materials. The project used a co-design approach incorporating feedback from patients, staff, IPC and operational teams. The team also identified opportunities for wider adoption across outpatient and inpatient services within the Trust. 

Key learning point

The project demonstrated that reusable tourniquets can provide substantial environmental and financial benefits while remaining acceptable to patients. The discussion highlighted the importance of adapting protocols in response to staff feedback, particularly around cleaning processes and avoiding skin pinching. The team found that stakeholder engagement, training, competency assessment and openness to modifying procedures were important for successful implementation. They also concluded that the intervention is scalable to other outpatient and inpatient settings, provided appropriate training, auditing and IPC oversight are maintained.