Where we are and where we want to go
Sustainable Models of Care
The majority of carbon emissions from the NHS are related to the care of patients. The Greener NHS pathway to net zero shows that a large proportion of the emissions reductions will be because of changes in care pathways, innovation and clinical leadership. In order to have a more sustainable and resilient hospital it is essential to embed net zero across all clinical services.
Our aims are to:
• Continue to reduce wasted resources within models of care
• Understand the carbon hotspots within care pathways
• Adopt lower models of care and undertake projects focussed on:
- Critical and perioperative care
- Urgent and emergency care
- Diagnostic tests and procedures
- Medical pathways with a focus on acute or long term conditions e.g. renal, diabetes, cardiovascular
Action |
Financial Investment |
When |
Responsible Department |
| Introduce reusable holloware to reduce single use plastics | Medium | 2027 | Theatres / Sustainability |
| Calculate the carbon footprint of the maternity models of care using the CSH calculator | Low | 2027 | Maternity |
| Run the Green Team competition | Medium | 2025 | Sustainability |
| Introduce hybrid instruments into surgery | Medium | 2026 | Procurement / Theatres |
| Create a Green Assessment Framework for Wards | Low | 2027 | Nursing / Sustainability |
| Include Sustainability in QI training | Low | 2026 | QI |
| Undertake a minimum of six nursing and AHP led projects a year | Low | 2028 | Nursing / Sustainability |
| Introduce all applicable items from the Green Theatre Checklist | Low | 2027 | Theatres / Sustainability |
| Achieve Bronze level on the Green ED Framework | Low | 2026 | Medicine and Urgent Care |
| Use examples from CSH and GIRFT within both QI projects and clinical audits | Low | 2027 | QI/ Audit / Sustainability |
| Create a library of case studies for reference and teaching | Low | 2026 | Sustainability |
Measurement
Procurement data single use plastics in theatres
Output carbon footprinting maternity
Green Team competition final
Number of QI projects carried out
Case studies from green projects