Why SusQI?
Sustainability is often seen as separate from clinical and financial priorities, and healthcare staff are therefore unsure how to relate this to their practice, while also lacking the time and skills to bring about change. Despite this, However, they are still rightly expected not just to provide excellent patient care, but to contribute to systematically improving healthcare services using a process called Quality Improvement (QI). Making sustainability part of QI empowers staff with the knowledge and tools to address environmental and social challenges in healthcare as a core part of professional practice, using a recognised method for change.
“Our vision at CSH is for everyone to play their part in transforming healthcare for a sustainable future.”
Dr Frances Mortimer, medical director, Centre of Sustainable Healthcare
Start a Sustainable QI project
You can build environmental and social sustainability into any improvement project using CSH’s open-access SusQI toolkit. Read about SusQI in action and get inspiration from well over 100 SusQI project reports in our case library. For more support, sign up to our Sustainability in Quality Improvement course. You will learn to apply SusQI in your setting to identify high-impact areas for change, practise using tools, and explore up-to-date case examples. The course features self-study, interactive workshops, and follow-up ‘work in progress’ sessions, with a strong emphasis on sharing learning and networking.
Teach Sustainability in QI
Including sustainability in QI teaching has been shown not only to enhance learners’ QI practice but also to shape their daily professional practice in delivering sustainable healthcare. Access our open-access Educator Pack for free materials to help you plan and run teaching sessions with different healthcare staff and student groups.
Join the Teaching Sustainability in Quality Improvement course for support and the opportunity to exchange learning with other educators.
Embed sustainability into your organisation’s QI programmes
Through the SusQI Academy, CSH provides bespoke support to healthcare organisations and education institutions to embed sustainability into their QI programmes and celebrate success. Organisations that have successfully embedded sustainability into their QI education and practice can gain recognition through our Beacon Site programme, joining sites in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Green Team Competition
The Green Team Competition is an award-winning programme in sustainable healthcare that transforms knowledge into action. It uses SusQI to empower healthcare organisations to bring sustainability and healthcare together, working directly with teams to improve clinical outcomes and equity, reduce organisational costs and demonstrate low carbon care.
SusQI Programme Development
CSH is working to evaluate the impact of SusQI in practice and improve the impact of our programmes. The Nuffield Department of Primary Health Sciences at the University of Oxford conducted a qualitative evaluation of the 2022 Green Team Competitions, finding significant environmental and financial savings – the seven participating sites projected over 7.1 million kgCO2e in reduced carbon emissions and over £780,000 in financial savings – with a positive effect on staff morale. The study identified an opportunity to maximise the benefits of the programme through strategic development in the post-competition period.
Some of our partners
Partner with us
CSH works to influence QI policy, education and practice both in the UK and internationally. Please find out more in our dedicated partnership section if you would like to partner with us on scaling sustainability in QI.
Please contact Catherine Richards, CSH’s SusQI Programme Lead for more information.