'Let our nurses keep a hint of glamour' - Ex-nurse speaks out over proposed national uniform in 1968

The new look had been put together by a working group of matrons, sisters, nurses, hospital secretaries and supplies officers and was now being considered by Group Hospital Management Committees nationwide.

As part of its coverage, The Standard ran a critique provided by an ex-nurse, under the headline ‘let our nurses keep a hint of glamour’.

They wrote that the majority of nurses would welcome the idea of a national uniform, but added it would be ‘very doubtful’ that they would welcome the proposed style of dress.

“As an ex-nurse myself, I deplore the new uniform almost in its entirety. I say ‘almost’ because there is now the addition of an outdoor uniform, comprising a gaberdine type coat and a natty pill-box hat in navy. These have hitherto had to be bought by hospital nurses themselves.

“The indoor uniform consists of a drab blue dress, to be worn by all nurses from students to sisters, the only distinguishing feature being a minute badge to denote the grade of nurse and – if you look very closely – small bands of white material around the collar and cuffs of the sisters’ dresses.

“Most noticeable is the absence of a cap, which has long been part of the traditional public image of a nurse, and individual caps worn by particular hospitals are proudly regarded as indicative of past and present distinction.

“At the same time they encourage a hygienic hairstyle and one that is not too flamboyant. After all, who wants to see a nurse with hair either floating round her shoulders or piled high on top of her head?

“The excuse of the working party for the dismissal of caps from a nurse’s uniform is that they cost the Health Service £100,000 a year – for purchase and laundering. But perhaps it would have been kinder to consider the adoption of disposable caps as worn in Canada and America – and this would at least have cut out the laundering costs.

“Aprons are out too, except for protective use, it being maintained that it is no use putting a clean apron on top of a dress which is not as clean as the apron, as bacteria will penetrate the apron from the dress. It could be argued that bacteria will also penetrate a sterile gown as worn in operating theatres and for specialist patients.

“Gone, too, are the red capes, usually red-lined, which had ‘nurse’ written all over them – metaphorically speaking, of course – and which were so snug and warm when dashing outdoors either to the nurses’ home or perhaps through draughty corridors to other wards.

“Replacing it will be a short blazer-like collarless coat of rather thin material and in what could be called royal blue. The dress can be worn with or without a belt.”

Concluding, she said: “To my mind it would have been better by far for the working party to take a closer look at the smart uniforms worn by staffs in American hospitals. Absolutely hygienic and practical, yet still attractive.”