Electronic reporting and sterile bottle recycling in Endoscopy

This case study was completed as part of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Green Team Competition from February to July 2022 by the Endoscopy Team.

Team Members:

Anna Betts (Deputy Sister), Nicola Rogers (Staff Nurse), Tanya Beresford (Staff Nurse), Helen Saunders (Health Care Assistant)

Setting/Patient group: Endoscopy Unit

Issue to be addressed:

Endoscopy is a resource-heavy setting and addressing inefficient waste management has potential for significant environmental and financial savings. In this unit, hotspots for intervention included sterile water bottle disposal and the reporting system for the Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test.

Intervention:

1. Sterile Water Bottle Recycling:

• Identified a suitable location for a recycling bin, obtaining necessary approvals from infection control and fire department.
• Delivered education and raised awareness of change through morning huddles.
• Sustained change by providing regular feedback on the number of recycled bottles.

2. Electronic CLO Test Reporting:

• Engaged important stakeholders (the reception and booking team) to better understand the reporting system.
• Identified opportunity to streamline the process with electronic records.
• Discussed change with wider clinical team who were happy for transition to electronic system.

Outcome:

Clinical

• Improved efficiency on CLO test result reporting 

Social

• Administration staff gained time for higher-value tasks.

Environmental

• Estimated annual carbon savings of 921.44 kg CO2e.

Economic

• Estimated annual savings of £1,559 from reduced waste disposal and physical paper use/postage.

Key Learning:

“Due to significant operation pressures, some staff felt that this project was not where their energy was best placed. However, working with staff individually empowered them to see the impact of their changes”

Click here for more information on the Green Team Competition (including organisation impact reports).

You can read more about the project by downloading the attached case study or by opening the Royal Cornwall Hospitals 2022 Impact Report on the Green Ward Competition | Centre for Sustainable Healthcare webpage