NHS Sustainability Day - 28th March

On Wednesday the 28th March NHS organisations across the country took part in the first annual NHS Sustainability Day of Action. (Go to the NHS Sustainability Day website and please also see some press activity around Sustainability Day below).

The NHS Sustainable Development Unit (find out what the SDU and its host NHS Midlands and East are doing) along with more than a 100 other organisations will join well known figures such as NHS Chief Sir David Nicholson, Health Minister Simon Burns, Defra's environment spokesman Lord Taylor and actor and presenter Stephen Fry to promote sustainable action in the NHS and across the health sector.

NHS Chief, Sir David Nicholson said:

“Thinking about sustainability and acting in a sustainable way is essential to improving our quality and productivity.  I would encourage individuals and organisations to do things differently to truly drive the service to be more sustainable.”

In a joint statement Minister of State for Health Simon Burns and Defra’s Environment spokesman Lord Taylor have leant their support:

“We all have a stake in the NHS and the life giving healthcare it provides.  It is essential that our healthcare system is sustainable for the long term, providing a more efficient and resilient service, healthier working and care conditions and better outcomes for the population now and in the future.  Participating in the NHS Sustainability Day on 28th March gives a clear demonstration of commitment and shows that by working together we can make a difference."

Hospitals across England will be engaging with staff and the public on sustainability by holding recycling events, planting trees, and holding energy and waste audits to get people to understand the mutual benefits of sustainability and health.  The Guardian newspaper's Healthcare Network would like to know what NHS organisations are doing for the day on its  comments page.

Actor and presenter Stephen Fry added and tweeted:

“The NHS is one of the greatest institutions in the world – helping to look after us while doing no harm.  But its very size means it can harm the world it shares with us.  So it needs to be more sustainable.”

NHS Sustainability Day is being led by the NHS Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) and the University College London Hospitals (UCLH).

Dr David Pencheon, NHS SDU Director explained:

“NHS Sustainability Day is a day of action and a rallying call to the NHS to embrace and consider all elements of delivering sustainable healthcare: care that improves health today but which doesn't jeopardise our ability to do it tomorrow.”

A sustainable health service is one where hospitals serve more locally sourced fresh food, where patients can receive their care closer to home and where buildings are less wasteful and more energy efficient.  A sustainable NHS will help save money which can be reinvested in frontline services.  

Director of Facilities at UCLH Trevor Payne said:

“Being sustainable is good for patient health.  For example using public transport or cycling keeps people more active, improves fitness, reduces levels of obesity and minimises the need for people to be treated for heart conditions and mental health problems.”

In a recent Ipsos Mori survey commissioned by the NHS SDU 92% of the public said they wanted the NHS to be more sustainable and the NHS Sustainability Day is one way where the public can see that the NHS is taking sustainability seriously.  It is an opportunity for the public and staff to understand that a lower carbon NHS is not only healthier for them but also improves the health of the environment.

All 100 plus organisations taking part in the day will be doing something unique to promote sustainability.

Below is a list of some of the organisations taking part, divided into Strategic Health Authority region.

More information is available at www.nhssustainabilityday.co.uk.

NHS East of England
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustEast of England Ambulance Service
Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
NHS Bedfordshire
NHS Sustainable Development Unit
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

NHS East Midlands
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

NHS West Midlands
UHCW (University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust)
Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospital North Staffordshire NHS Trust

NHS North East
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust

NHS North West
Liverpool PCT
Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Alder Hey Childrens Healthcare Hospital
Blackpool, Fyre and Wylde NHS Foundation Trust
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool Heart & Chest NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust & Alder Hey Foundation trust
Mersey Care NHS Trust
North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Trust
North Tees & Hartlepool NHS FT
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust
Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Yorkshire and Humber
Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

NHS South Central
Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
NHS Buckinghamshire
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

NHS South West
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

NHS South East Coast
NHS Kent and Medway
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals
Epsom and St Helier NHS University Hospitals NHS Trust
Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
NHS Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
Medway PCT
Sussex Community NHS Trust
West Kent PCT
West Sussex PCT

NHS London
Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals Trust
Barts and The London NHS Trust
Bexley NHS Care Trust
Brent PCT
Bromley PCT
Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust
Central & North West London NHS Trust
Central London Healthcare CCG – Westminster
Chelsea & Westminster Hospital
City & Hackney PCT
Ealing Hospital NHS Trust
East London NHS Trust
Great Ormand Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
Greenwich PCT
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Hammersmith & Fulham PCT
Harrow PCT
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Isleworth
Kensington and Chelsea NHS
King’s College Health Centre
Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
Kingston PCT
Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Mayday Health Care Trust
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Newham University Hospital NHS Trust
NHS Camden
NHS Croydon
NHS Enfield
NHS Havering
NHS Islington
NHS Newham
NHS Redbridge
NHS South West London
North East London Foundation Trust
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
North West London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Richmond and Twickenham PCT
Royal Brompton & Harefield Foundation NHS Trust
Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
South London Healthcare NHS Trust
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
Southwark Health & Social Care
St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust
Sutton & Merton PCT
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Waltham Forest PCT
Wandsworth PCT
West London Mental Health Trust
West Middlesex University NHS Trust
Westminster PCT
Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust
Whittington Health NHS
Whittington Hospital
Your Healthcare & Kingston PCT

Other NHS Organisations
Royal College of General Practitioners
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Plymouth University Sustainability Society and Health


If you would like to know more information about NHS Sustainability Day then please contact   Karl Heidel or Trevor Payne.

Stephen Fry tweet http://twitter.com/#!/stephenfry

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Guardian

MiP Healthcare Manager

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NHS Kent and Medway’s sustainability film