Briefing

What’s changing?

• The supplier who is responsible for providing Clinical Waste Services to your location (which includes provision of waste receptacles, collection of waste, and onward processing and destruction of this waste) is being withdrawn, and a new organisation will be responsible for this going forward.
• This means some aspects of your current clinical waste services may also be changing, for example, the shapes and sizes of receptacles, the introduction of reusable sharps containers, the day your collection occurs and where that waste is taken for onward processing and disposal.
• Future communications will be issued between 1st February and 31st March 2026, detailing service changes, environmental benefits and resources that will be available to you.

Why is my Clinical Waste Service Provider Changing?

• NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICB’s) are responsible for commissioning clinical waste services for General Practice.
• The current contracts held for Clinical Waste services have come to an end and have undergone a competitive procurement process, as required by Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
• Your ICB has awarded a new contract for clinical waste services to Sharpsmart, and Anenta is now supporting the mobilisation of this new contract.

Who is my new clinical waste service supplier?

Your new clinical waste service supplier is Sharpsmart.

What waste types are affected by this change?

For Pharmacy Location:

• Medicinal Waste (blue lidded)
• Cytotoxic/static medicinal waste (purple lidded)
• Sharps Waste (yellow/orange lidded) – where applicable and permissible

Any other waste types, e.g., general, commercial, recycling, confidential waste and sanitary waste services, are not affected by this change and are based on separate arrangements led by the site itself.

How will this change in the clinical waste service provider happen?

• The prospective date for Sharpsmart to commence collections of clinical waste during the months from April 2026
• Sharpsmart will deliver all internal and external containment requirements prior to the commencement date and will conduct collections under your existing collection frequency. It is unfortunately inevitable that the day of collection will change; therefore, we anticipate that you may experience a short delay while the first collection activates. If you have any issues, please ensure you bring them to our attention immediately so we can work toward a solution.
• You should expect updates on the delivery of the internal containment

When is this change happening?

• Your new supplier, Sharpsmart, will deliver new waste receptacles to you prior to the commencement date. The expected date on which this will be delivered will be confirmed in further communication over the coming weeks.
• Sharpsmart will start collecting waste from your site, depending on the frequency of your collections and when your last collection from the outgoing supplier occurs. You will be advised of the collection dates via your Vector account
• You should start to use the new receptacles delivered by Sharpsmart when they arrive; however, further communications will be issued on this particular aspect.

Should I expect any disruption during this change?

• We will be working closely with Sharpsmart to facilitate as smooth a transition as possible, but sometimes things don’t always go to plan.
• If you experience any disruption during this process, please report this immediately via your Vector account.

Is there anything I need to do?

• Check for updates via your Anenta account and any other notifications we share with you to remain informed about this process.
• Report any disruptions immediately (e.g., delivery of new receptacles, the last visit by the previous supplier, or the first visit by the new supplier does not occur as planned).

How do I contact my new supplier?

• You do not need to contact Sharpsmart. If you have any queries regarding this briefing or your clinical waste services, please contact Anenta. You can contact Anenta through Vector, please open a support ticket

Further updates will be issued as the mobilisation phase progresses.