University Hospitals Sussex trust board approves: Patient First, Planet First – Our Green Plan
Hospitals across Sussex are committed to supporting the NHS become the world’s first net zero health service by 2040 – a challenge set by NHS England’s chief executive in October 2020.
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs seven hospitals in Brighton and West Sussex, presented its Patient First Planet First green plan at public board last Thursday (3 February).
The document details ambitious plans to reduce emissions of CO2 and other harmful greenhouse gases, as well as improve understanding of climate change and the impact of using resources.
Chief Financial Officer Karen Geoghegan is the executive lead for environmental sustainability at UHSussex. She said: “Our staff have told us this matters to them and doing everything we can to improve our environment is the right thing to do for our patients and the communities we serve.
“We will use our Patient First approach to continuous improvement to focus effort on where we can make the greatest impact to improve the health of both people and our planet.”
Currently, the NHS accounts for 4% of the country’s carbon footprint but, as part of a new Greener NHS programme, the nation’s largest employer has challenged all NHS organisations to be greener.
Karen added: “We are committed to delivering the NHS targets – both as a trust and in partnership with climate change advisors Care Without Carbon and our health and care partners across Sussex.
“I am delighted the trust board has approved our Patient First, Planet First green plan. The actions we have set out will make a huge difference and substantially reduce our carbon footprint.”
The first major target is to reduce the trust’s carbon footprint by 57%, down from 2009/10 levels, by 2025. To achieve this, the plan identifies projects that will remove 11,500 tonnes of harmful emissions.
In the longer term, the goal is to become net zero by 2040 for the emissions the trust has direct control over (NHS carbon footprint). These include the efficiency of buildings, energy consumption, waste management and use of medical gases.
By 2045, the aim is to be net zero for all the indirect emissions the organisation can influence too (carbon footprint plus). These include the environmental impact of suppliers, and how staff and patients travel to and from hospital.
The trust’s Patient First, Planet First green plan is being delivered by 10 workstreams – from Buildings and Utilities and Travel and Transport, to Clinical and Staff Engagement.
Professor Mahmood Bhutta is clinical lead for environmental sustainability at UHSussex. He said: “Tackling climate change needs us all to work together and ask what we can do in our personal lives and at work.
“Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. But we should all prioritise reducing our use of resources and reusing equipment wherever possible – but that never means we won’t continue to deliver the highest standards of patient care.
“At University Hospitals Sussex, I know we have the right structure, ambition and ability for us to be a leader in this field. And I also know we have the heart.”
The UHSussex green plan is available to read or download from the UHSussex website at www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/greenplan.
A video summary is available below.
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