Business powerhouse: the TSA’s Autumn Conference 2025

From building business to mental health, 2025 Conference gives insight into key industry issues

TSA’s autumn Conference’s approach is underlined by the persona of the closing keynote speaker – ‘no nonsense business advice’ is Linda Plant’s trademark. Visitors to this year’s edition can expect a winning combination of insight, inspiration and thought leadership covering the key issues facing the commercial laundry sector.

The venue is the home of football, St George’s Park, and, following feedback from last year’s event, the format for 2025 Conference has been tweaked. Consequently, following a 2pm kick off on Tuesday 21st October, it sees a series of training sessions, covering topics such as mental health, sustainability and ‘what happens when things go wrong’, which investigates difficult areas such as handling personal injury claims and gross negligence prosecutions. The sessions are led by market experts – TSA’s mental health first aid trainer, Adrian Thomas; Steve Bland, managing director of EcoVerify; and health and safety solicitor Mark Cohen of Willis Towers Watson.

The second day of the Conference, on Wednesday 22nd October, features three keynote addresses. First off is neuroscientist TJ Power, who discusses DOSE (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins) and their effects on mental health, and later in the morning AI specialist David Pool considers the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry.  Delegates can expect sparks to fly during Linda Plant’s afternoon presentation on the ‘business powerhouse’.

Alongside the high profile keynote addresses there will be a series of important industry presentations.  Staff and skills shortages will be part of the ‘challenges and opportunities of employment’ talk.  Following the success of the launch of the TSA’s GLARE platform, there will be an update on the initiative.  It’s a key part of the association’s sustainability roadmap and helps members to calculate embodied carbon figures – an increasingly important requirement for tenders.  Other updates include the latest news on Laundry Open Week and a progress report on the Infinite Textiles recycling scheme, along with discussion of the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on textiles.

As usual there will be plenty of opportunities for networking during the event, including the Conference dinner on Tuesday in the Sir Bobby Robson Ballroom. 

For more information about the Conference click here.  The booking form for the Conference is here. 

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

E tsa@tsa-uk.org

T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600

How commercial laundry could help during future pandemics

Covid Inquiry publishes TSA’s statement demonstrating benefits of working with industry

The commercial laundry industry has enormous potential to help the UK’s response to any future public health crisis, is the message of the statement given by the Textile Services Association (TSA) to the UK government’s Covid 19 inquiry. Despite initial contact being made by the Government, the newly published statement also shows that there are important lessons to learn from how the industry was dismissed during the pandemic of 2020.

The inquiry is a wide ranging examination of the UK’s response to the Covid 19 crisis and is, in part, attempting to identify areas of the response that could be improved during potential future crises. The TSA was requested to provide information on the potential for using reusable personal protective equipment (PPE), the ways the laundry industry helps maintain hygiene in healthcare environments, and how the government of the time failed to fully harness the capabilities of the industry at a critical point.

The statement, which was presented by David Stevens, CEO of TSA, outlines the nature of the TSA’s work in supporting the laundry industry as well as the importance of commercial laundries to the UK’s economy and institutions like the NHS.  It considered the situation before the pandemic, as well as how that relationship evolved as the crisis unfolded.

The statement’s key message highlights the lack of a joined up, centralised approach to creating a specification for reusable surgical gowns and other PPE. If this had been in place it could have eliminated, or at minimum significantly reduced the need for disposable PPE products.

Data showing the commercial benefits in 2021 demonstrated savings of £1.2 billion a year of reusable over single use gowns, which in real terms would be much higher due to the inflationary pressures being exerted on the supply chains of single use products during 2020.

Many commercial laundries already provide services to the NHS as well as private health, social care and other care based industries, and are set up to meet the high standards of hygiene these sectors require as well as meet demand. The commercial laundry industry currently processes and delivers up to 75 million pieces a week and at the peak of the pandemic, the demand for gowns would have been 3 million per week.

While the Covid 19 pandemic was an unprecedented challenge to the UK, it did reveal potential improvements that could be made for infrastructure and support to ensure that the response to future events is smoother and more efficient, and the TSA’s statement clearly shows that opportunities were missed by the government at the time.

“The commercial laundry sector is vital to the smooth running of the NHS and has been for many years,” says David. “We need to learn from the events of 2020, to ensure that the responses are lead by evidence and make full use of the capabilities of the UK’s commercial laundry sector,”

“Our statement to the inquiry demonstrates that our industry has the capability to ensure that PPE can be reused, helping to create a more resilient system during times of crisis – and saving hundreds of millions pounds worth of public money, as well as reducing carbon emissions. We could be “pandemic ready” in a matter of weeks should the need arise again”

The TSA alongside their members, are willing to drive the expansion of the existing reusable gown solution forward with the right support and commitment as it will not only assist the UK in being pandemic ready by solving supply issues for healthcare frontline workers on a long-term basis, but it will also deliver environmental and commercial benefits.

The TSA statement was made as part of Module 5 of the inquiry, which related to issues surrounding procurement. It can be read in full on the inquiry’s website.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

E tsa@tsa-uk.org

T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600

TSA’s fantasy footie scores for charity

Join up to help TSA raise funds for Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust

Fancy your chances against El Locos? Or slotting one past For Beto or Wirtz? Getting one over on Thirsty Pockets? And all in the name of charity. Think of the glory of being the top fantasy footie team in the laundry industry! Plus, for the winner, there’s a prize of £100 to donate to the charity of their choice.
That’s what’s on offer thanks to the TSA’s fantasy football league, which is raising funds for the Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust. Already 23 teams are signed up for this year, and there’s still time to get involved – just sign up and, if possible, give a £10 (or more) donation.

Joining up for the 2025/26 season couldn’t be easier: simply click here and follow the instructions – be sure to join the TSA league by entering the code wrovue when prompted.  Once that part’s completed, the TSA has set up a JustGiving page to enable fantasy football teams to donate their £10 (or more!) easily.  Visit: justgiving.com/page/tsa-fantasy-football-2025-2026.  

TSA CEO David Stevens helped launch the league by posing in his preferred footie gear (see accompanying image). “Luckily for all involved I’m not available for selection in the fantasy football league,” he says.  “This is all about having fun and raising money for a fantastic charity. We’re asking everyone who takes part to make a donation of £10 to Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust. If they would like to donate more, then that would be fantastic!”  

The Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust provides financial grants to support the children of UK families who work or have worked in the textile industries. By funding the essential and specialist items children whose families have fallen on hard times need, from school uniforms to specialist equipment, they strive to improve their wellbeing during challenging times.  For more information on the charity visit ftct.org.uk

If you have any questions about joining the league, contact tsa@tsa-uk.org

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

E tsa@tsa-uk.org

T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600

Healthcare workers at risk as domestic washing machines fail to kill harmful bacteria

Healthcare workers who wash their uniforms at home could unknowingly be contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, new research has revealed

Experts from De Montfort University have found that many standard household washing machines do not always reach or maintain the temperatures required to properly disinfect and remove harmful pathogens from clothing, raising serious concerns about infection control across the healthcare system.

Current NHS guidelines state healthcare workers can launder their uniforms at home, provided they wash them at 60°C using detergent. However, only half of the six domestic washing machine models tested met the required standard. Some of the machines did not reach 60°C, or stay hot for long enough. Short and eco-friendly wash cycles, which are commonly used to save time and reduce energy costs, were shown to be particularly poor at removing harmful pathogens.

The team from De Montfort University, led by Professor Katie Laird, Professor of Microbiology and Deputy Director at the Leicester Institute for Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation, also sampled inside 12 machines to identify the types of bacteria present. They discovered biofilms – layers of bacteria that stick to surfaces – in detergent drawers and rubber door seals. Biofilms can survive regular cleaning and potentially re-contaminate laundry during each wash. Harmful bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Mycobacterium were found to be living in the machines, which can cause infections, particularly in people with weakened immune systems.

Additionally, researchers tested whether repeated exposure to household laundry detergents could make bacteria stronger and more resistant to antibiotics. They grew common bacteria in detergent over several cycles, and found that some became more tolerant to the detergent and less sensitive to antibiotics. This cross-resistance means that improperly laundered uniforms could play a role in the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections – a growing concern for hospitals and long-term care settings.

Professor Laird is calling for the NHS to revise its laundry guidelines for healthcare workers and consider using on-site industrial machines or commercial laundry services, to improve patient safety, and control the spread of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

She said: “Our research shows that domestic washing machines often fail to disinfect textiles, allowing antibiotic-resistant bacteria to survive. Domestic washing machines are not designed with infection control in mind, and should not be relied upon for effectively laundering uniforms. They’re built for energy efficiency and convenience to suit private households.

“We’re urging healthcare providers and policymakers to reassess this guidance and explore safer alternatives, such as on-site commercial-grade machines or outsourced professional laundry services. These machines are specifically designed to meet healthcare hygiene standards and consistently reach the high temperatures required to safely decontaminate clothing. Whilst washing uniforms at home might seem convenient, it’s imperative that we rethink how we launder our healthcare workers’ uniforms to ensure patient safety, staff wellbeing, and basic infection control across the NHS.”

David Stevens, CEO at Textile Services Association (TSA), added: “For healthcare and care home managers, these findings are a clear call to action. Commercial laundry, such as bed linen and patient linen, is already outsourced at hospitals, yet we’re putting the onus on nurses to properly disinfect their own uniforms. With limited uniforms provided, this not only adds time pressures but also shifts the financial burden of washing at 60°C onto key workers.”

To find out more information, the full research paper can be found here.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

E tsa@tsa-uk.org

T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600

Additionally, researchers tested whether repeated exposure to household laundry detergents could make bacteria stronger and more resistant to antibiotics. They grew common bacteria in detergent over several cycles, and found that some became more tolerant to the detergent and less sensitive to antibiotics. This cross-resistance means that improperly laundered uniforms could play a role in the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections – a growing concern for hospitals and long-term care settings.

Professor Laird is calling for the NHS to revise its laundry guidelines for healthcare workers and consider using on-site industrial machines or commercial laundry services, to improve patient safety, and control the spread of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

E tsa@tsa-uk.org

T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600