The Safer Needles Network

Download the Network Position Document in Word format

Aims and Objectives

  • The Safer Needles Network aims to minimise the number of sharps injuries.
  • This is to be achieved by promoting preventative measures and safer systems of working including improved information, training and education, safer working practices and safe disposal of sharps and the provision of safer needles/sharps.
  • The Network’s principal objective is to facilitate implementation and compliance with the ‘Health and Safety (Sharps Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013’.  It will achieve this by:

- Continuing to raise awareness of the risks from sharps injuries;

- Informing and influencing key stakeholders;

- Maintaining relationships with those bodies which have a duty of care for employees in the healthcare sector in the UK; and

- Monitoring the effectiveness of the Regulations in achieving the aims of the Network.

  • The Network will seek to achieve its aims, including implementation of and compliance with the Regulations by promoting, monitoring and measuring the implementation of proper surveillance and reporting procedures, the provision of information, training and education and the availability of safety devices.

The Safer Needles Network

  • The membership of the Safer Needles Network includes organisations that represent healthcare workers, such as trades unions and professional organisations, employers’ organisations, individual clinicians with expertise in this area, manufacturers of the different technologies and Government/NHS agencies.

About our Chairman 

Dr. Paul Grime MBChB MSc FRCPI FFOM MBA, 

 

Consultant in Occupational Medicine

 Dr. Paul Grime qualified from Leicester University Medical School in 1988.  Following general professional training in hospital medicine, leading to Membership of the

Dr Paul Grime, chair SNN

 Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (MRCPI), he has worked in occupational medicine since 1997, and achieved specialist accreditation as a consultant (MFOM) in 2001.  Paul was elected a Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FFOM) in 2008, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (FRCPI) in 2009.  Paul’s occupational health experience includes health services and local authorities, independent and voluntary sectors.  Paul has experience of managing a developing an occupational health service was awarded a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), with merit, from the Open University Business School in 2008.  From 2001 – 2011, he was a consultant and honorary senior lecturer in occupational medicine at the Royal Free Hospital in London, and director of the occupational health service there from 2007 - 2011.  

In June 2011, he moved to Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, as a consultant in occupational health.  Paul has published papers in peer reviewed journals on occupational exposure to infections, workplace intervention for psychological distress, occupational health services for general practitioners and on undergraduate teaching in occupational medicine.  Since 2010, he has been an Assistant Editor for the journal Occupational Medicine.  Paul is a diploma examiner and dissertation assessor for the Faculty of Occupational Medicine. 

Paul served on the British Medical Association Occupational Health Committee for ten years from 1998, as deputy chair from 2001-5, and chair from 2005-8.  From 2004 to 2008 he was the occupational health representative on BMA Council and acted as a media spokesperson for the BMA on healthcare associated infections.  he represented the BMA on the Safer Needles Network from 2001-8 and has chaired the Network since 2003.  Paul is a member of the Health Protection Agency Centre of Infection’s Advisory Group on Occupational Exposure to Blood-borne Viruses in Healthcare Workers.