Topic

Help needed - Greener respiratory care ideas

Matthew Sawyer
Matthew Sawyer • 12 November 2020

Suggestions welcome!

Having spoken to various colleagues - clinical (primary and secondary care) and pharmaceutical, engineers and waste providers, there appears to be appetite across these different industry sectors to take the opportunity that the new lower GWP propellants provides to produce something far better than we have now in terms of respiratory inhalers that are more suitable for patient ease-of-use/improve patient outcomes and with a lower environmental impact. However, perhaps the biggest barrier is the lack of a figure head or suitably knowledgeable but independent organisation to lead, coordinate, oversea and implement the required change. 

Suggestions as to who the 'right' people/team are would be gratefully received. Personally, I think one of the failings of the GSK scheme was no-one followed where they led. Suggestions so far have included CSH, SDU, Greener NHS.

Suggestions or ideas are gratefully received at drmjsawyer@gmail.com Thank you

Comments (4)

Admin *
Admin *

Hello Matt,

 

This would be a great opportunity to switch to a less environementally damaging product. Would NICE be interested in this from a coordination point of view?

Not sure I have quite understood what is being proposed do you have more details of what planned?  How would the new work be funded?

 

Thanks
Rosie

Matthew Sawyer
Matthew Sawyer

Thank you Rosie,

NICE is a great suggestion. I will add them to my list! 

Currently, there is a lot of money spent by each of the players across the whole life cycle of an inhaler. Funding would be by bringing together of the some of the money spent be each of them into a communal pot. 

Jennifer Nixon
Jennifer Nixon

SDU do specifically mention work in this area: https://www.sduhealth.org.uk/search/resources.aspx?q=inhalers&zoom_quer…). It might also be worth contacting BTS (in light of their recent environment and Lung Health Position Statement: https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/about-us/position-statements/). And another thought is British Lung Foundation and/or their medical director (https://www.blf.org.uk/your-stories/which-inhalers-are-kindest-to-the-e…). Would be very interested to hear more as the projects progress, from yourself and the London work. 


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