Developed by nurses in the Emergency Department at Great Western Hospitals (GWH) NHS Foundation Trust, UniWee™ is an innovative device that has been commercialised in collaboration with Omni-Pac to provide female patients who are unable to walk with a dignified, pain-free way to urinate whilst sitting or lying down.
As part of our support to the team at GWH, Health Innovation West of England commissioned Unity Insights to produce a cost-benefit analysis tool and high-level carbon impact analysis of the UniWee™ in the neck of femur pathway in the average NHS hospital in England. This project involved creation of an interactive tool and a high-level evaluation report.
Bedpans are the accepted device to support people without male genitalia who need to void their bladder in hospital environments. However, being manoeuvred onto a bedpan can be painful and time consuming if the patient is injured, for example due to a hip fracture. Men can usually void their bladder using a urinal bottle, which does not require movement and helps preserve dignity.
The UniWee™ is a universal urinal, now available through NHS Supply Chain, that aims to maintain patient dignity, alleviate patient discomfort and reduce the need for multiple staff to manually handle a patient. The urinal is made from disposable pulp, which provides more environmental benefits compared to other bladder voiding methods, such as catheters that are made from plastic materials. The Uniwee™ does not carry any infection risks or require any invasive intervention, unlike a catheter.
The analysis conducted by Unity Insights demonstrates that over one year, an average NHS hospital in England could deliver an estimated net benefit of £24,817 and a benefit-cost ratio of 19.4 by using the UniWee™ in the neck of femur fracture pathway. This suggests that for every £1 invested, £19.40 of value could be returned.
Over one year, the high-level carbon impact analysis estimated a carbon saving of 473.37kgCO2e, equivalent to the annual carbon absorption of approximately 18 trees.
Siân Thomas, Emergency Doctor at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Working with our Trauma and Orthopaedic colleagues and with other Trust’s Emergency and Trauma departments, we have demonstrated that patients and staff would recommend using the UniWee™. This cost-benefit model, designed by Unity Insights and funded by Health Innovation West of England, will be invaluable in supporting our further work to demonstrate that this innovation supports sustainability in the NHS as well as being a better option for patients and staff.”
Mairead Murphy, Associate Director for Evaluation and Insight at Health Innovation West of England, added: “The cost-benefit model designed by Unity Insights shows that use of the Uniwee™ could free up staff time in supporting patient toileting and also save on carbon emissions. We hope that it supports with hospital decision-making around the use of this low-cost innovation.”
Find out more
- Download the Unity Insights evaluation report.
- Unity Insights have also designed an interactive tool, enabling trusts to explore the cost-benefit analysis of implementing Uniwee, as well as any carbon impacts. To request a copy of this tool, please email Mairead Murphy at murphy1@nhs.net.
- Read the Unity Insights case study.
- Read more about Uniwee™.
Posted on October 8, 2025
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