Clinical Household Waste
We collect medical waste from residents free of charge after a referral from a GP or medical centre.
The first collection will be within five working days of receiving the completed referral form and you will be informed which day to ensure your waste is available for weekly collection.
Please speak to your nurse/doctor for help, or you may seek advice by calling the council on 0115 9072244.
In a domestic situation the following items may be deemed as clinical waste:
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Soiled surgical dressings and swabs
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Used sharps/syringes from housebound patients only
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Items used to dispose of bodily secretions, including incontinence pads and stoma bags. In some cases, these items may be treated as household waste. This should be clarified by your district nurse/doctor.
How should clinical waste be stored?
Items must be stored in yellow clinical waste bags which must be tied or sealed firmly shut before collection.
Sharps and syringes are collected free of charge from residents who are housebound, these will only be collected when a patient has five full sharps boxes. Sharps and syringes must be placed in a special yellow plastic container called a sharps box.
If your clinical waste falls under the category of landfill, upon referral we will provide you with the appropriate bags. Please speak to your district nurse who will be able to help clarify any queries you have.
Discarded sharps and syringes
The council will collect and safely dispose of all discarded/dumped sharps and syringes from public places that are under our control. Please do not attempt to remove them yourself as infectious diseases may be contracted from used needles.
The Pride-line is a 24 hours confidential hotline and may be used to confidentially report anyone disposing of or dumping needles in public. Contact us on 0115 850 8383 and give details of where the needles/syringes are located and the council will make sure they are collected safely.