Nurses at Ipswich Hospital have showcased their new uniforms, designed to help better distinguish their rank.

Ipswich Star: Launch of the new staff nurses uniforms at Ipswich Hospital to mark International Nurses’ Day. Picture:SARAH LUCY BROWNLaunch of the new staff nurses uniforms at Ipswich Hospital to mark International Nurses’ Day. Picture:SARAH LUCY BROWN

The uniforms are colour-coded depending on seniority. They range from white, which indicates a student nurse, to shades of blue to black, which are worn by the most senior nurses such as matrons and clinical nurse leads.

They have been introduced following patient and staff feedback and were officially launched on International Nurses’ Day on Friday.

Ipswich Star: Launch of the new staff nurses uniforms at Ipswich Hospital to mark International Nurses’ Day. Picture:SARAH LUCY BROWNLaunch of the new staff nurses uniforms at Ipswich Hospital to mark International Nurses’ Day. Picture:SARAH LUCY BROWN

Sarah Seeley, transformation lead nurse, said: “The new uniforms are making it much easier for everyone using the hospital to define who is who. Put simply, the darker the colour, the more senior the nurse.

“They have also increased consistency across the trust by ensuring all nursing staff wear the same uniform rather than bespoke items, which have become more common over recent years.

Ipswich Star: Launch of the new staff nurses uniforms at Ipswich Hospital to mark International Nurses’ Day. Picture:SARAH LUCY BROWNLaunch of the new staff nurses uniforms at Ipswich Hospital to mark International Nurses’ Day. Picture:SARAH LUCY BROWN

“As a result, not only will our nursing staff look smarter but we will also save a minimum of £15,000 each year which can be reinvested into patient care.”

The uniforms have white piping and no logos for ward unit nurses. Nurse specialists will have red piping.