In 2008, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (formerly known as the Campaign for Greener Healthcare) partnered with the NHS in Cornwall to pilot an NHS toolkit for climate change, funded by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.
The project aimed to identify practical steps to reduce waste - including clinical supplies and pharmaceuticals, and led to the development of the SAP programme - sustainable action planning for clinical teams. SAP now has it's own website which you can visit at sap.greenerhealthcare.org.
SAP combines best practice from environmental management in industry with an understanding of the health service's culture and systems. It is targeted at small operational units - such as GP surgeries, individual wards and laboratories, and focuses on front line staff identifying opportunities for eliminating waste and cutting their carbon footprint.
In the first phase, four GP practices and one community hospital completed the scheme, which educates staff on the the impacts of climate change, explores their role in reducing emissions and preparing for change, and helps them to take action.
The pilot was then extended to wards and clinical units at Treliske Hospital, and to a mental health facility in the county. It has proved successful, prompting very positive feedback from participants, as well as identifying £250,000 in cash (and carbon) savings, with many opportunities yet to be costed.
Read about the Summer 2008 student footprinting projects in this blog.
For more information, download the report below or visit sap.greenerhealthcare.org.