Yesterday evening (21 November 2024), The Health Service Journal (HSJ) held an awards event with North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) shortlisted in two categories.
We were thrilled to see the Neurosurgery team win in the 'Towards Net Zero' category for the 'green theatres operating day' they carried out earlier this year, which resulted in a reduction of emissions by 33% for the day.
In collaboration with NBT's sustainability team, they made changes to a standard day in theatres - some of the measures the team changed were the following:
- Reducing staff emissions - those working were encouraged to use sustainable travel and maintain a plant-based diet whilst at work
- Liaising with suppliers on the logistics of transporting equipment in a carbon-neutral way, including transporting a piece of equipment 100+ miles by bicycle from Maidenhead to Bristol
- Minimising single-use equipment
- Switching to reusable equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) wherever possible
- Minimising unnecessary energy use within theatres (turning lights off when unoccupied, not leaving taps running)
- Exploring alternative lower-carbon surgical anaesthesia options
- Using technology to support remote follow-up and programming of devices to minimise patient travel.
You can read more about the award on the HSJ Website and our original website article.