Welcome to this network, for everyone interested in improving the environmental sustainability of operating theatres. The network is open equally to all professions including ODPs, theatre nurses, anaesthetists, surgeons and non-clinicians.

Please join in to share your experiences, examples of projects, share resources, signpost events, and ask questions of the group.

Take a look at the Green Surgery Challenge and sustainable anaesthetics work too, and we regularly post information here on related courses and events.

SusQI case study: The upper “hand” of sustainability: Reducing the carbon footprint in hand surgery

SusQI project completed in North Wales at Wrexham Maelor and Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospitals, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) as part of the Green Surgery Challenge, 26/04/2021

August, 2022

SusQI case study: Back to the Future: Bringing back “old practices” for a sustainable future.

SusQI project completed at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, as part of the Green Surgery Challenge, 26/04/2021 – 07/07/2021.

August, 2022

Call for Abstracts: North South Ireland Public Health Conference – Healthy Planet, Healthy People

Abstracts are welcomed for the Healthy Planet, Healthy People conference on 30th November 2022, hosted by The Institute of Public Health, Public Health Agency, Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, and University College Cork. The conference theme is the relationship between climate change and health in Ireland.

Life cycle assessment and life cycle cost of repairing surgical scissors

The study used life cycle assessment (LCA) to estimate the environmental impacts and financial cost of repairing surgical scissors.

Rizan, C., Brophy, T., Lillywhite, R. et al. Life cycle assessment and life cycle cost of repairing surgical scissors. Int J Life Cycle Assess 27, 780–795 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-022-02064-7

June, 2022

Can you help? Mapping Northern Irish sustainable healthcare activities

CSH beacon site Queens University Belfast are undertaking some mapping of sustainable healthcare activities in Northern Ireland.

Governments Net Zero strategy judged unlawful

With perfect timing, in the midst of a life-threatening heatwave and an undemocratic leadership contest where most of the contenders seem to want t

URGENT - GMC consultation on changes to GMP guidance - ends 20th July

The GMC consultation on changes to Good Medical Practice guidelines closes on the 20th July.

Healthier Futures Action Fund NHS England - Open for Applications!

Overview

July, 2022

Critical Care Susnet - Sharing Hour - first one 14 July 2022

The Critical Care Susnet Sharing Hour will be hosted by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, British Association of Critical Care Nurses and Inte

The Allied Health Professions (AHPs) Strategy for England - AHPs Deliver

AHPs Deliver is the five year strategy for Allied Health Professions (AHPs) in England. It has an environmental sustainability focus and ambitions on pages 28-29.

NHS England

June, 2022

Launch of the SusQI Academy and Beacon Site Recognition

Integrating environmental Sustainability into Quality Improvement (SusQI) offers a practical way for upskilling healthcare staff to contribute to b

URGENT! GMC Good medical practice consultation

The GMC is currently consulting on updates to the Good medical practice guidelines which will then be fixed for another five years.

Updated UK Government (BEIS) greenhouse gas conversion factors database 2022

The UK Government (BEIS) have updated their greenhouse gas conversion factors database for 2022.

UK Government (BEIS)

June, 2022

Greener NHS

If you are a newcomer to sustainable healthcare, the NHS England website has a user-friendly guide to the principles behind the NHS Net Zero target.

June, 2022

London Sustainability Summit for Health and Climate Leaders - 12th and 13th July

Hosted by London Sustainability Network, NHS England, the summit is the first London NHS Sustainability event for healthcare staff to gain understa

MSc Dissertation Survey - Awareness of climate change policy in the NHS

My name is Dr Jake Parnian and I am a London-based SHO studying for an MSc in Climate Change.

SusQI case study: Eliminating the second group and save prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomies

SusQI project completed at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, as part of the Green Surgery Challenge, 26/04/2021 – 07/07/2021.

June, 2022

Free journal club 15 June: Minimizing carbon and financial costs of steam sterilization and packaging of reusable surgical instruments

The next paper to be discussed at the Planetary Healthcare Journal Club is Chantalle Rizan's recent “Minimizing carbon and financial cost

#NetZeroSurgery SERIES: #NetZero Anaesthesia + BIG GREEN ROOM 16th June

Dear all

Medical student activity

Hi all

I'm trying to find out more information about what medical students are doing to get involved with surgical sustainability.

Remote Consultations: Do they reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Your Guide to calculating the Answer (2021 version)

This guide and carbon calculator have been developed by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare in collaboration with PD Transformation and funded through Q by the Health Foundation and NHS England and NHS Improvement.

September, 2021

Sustainability in QI - the time has come!

Health systems are in constant need of improvement - and in some cases total redesign.

Sustainability in Quality Improvement learning resources

Sustainability has been recognised as a domain of quality in healthcare, and building it into quality improvement (QI) is a practical way to drive incremental change towards a more ethical, sustainable health system.

Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

March, 2017

Browse this Networks's Resources in the Resource Library

SusQI case study: Reducing single-use surgical instruments during laparoscopic appendicectomy

SusQI project completed at Derriford Hospital, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, as part of the Green Surgery Challenge, 26/04/2021 – 07/07/2021.

April, 2022

How to sign up, post and search on CSH Networks

Take a look at our handy one page guide that shows you:

how to sign up to the CSH Networks
how to create posts, resources and events
3 easy ways to seach for content

April, 2022

Environmental Sustainability in Orthopaedic Surgery: Abstract

Abstract: Climate change has been increasingly recognized in the healthcare sector over recent years, with global implications in infrastructure, economics, and public health.

Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

April, 2022

NHS providers & the Government’s Social Value Model

From 1st April, all NHS providers are required to adopt the Government’s Social Value Model (Procurement Policy Note 06/20) and include a minimum of 10% weighting on net zero and social value into tenders.

March, 2022

Integrating planetary health into clinical guidelines - Lancet Planetary Health

In this review of 49 clinical guidelines from British, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, Australian, European, German, and US-American medical associations, the authors found keywords related to planetary health (eg, climate change, air pollution, and emissions) were found in fewer than 5%.

March, 2022

Carbon Footprint of General, Regional, and Combined Anaesthesia for Total Knee Replacements

'Health care itself contributes to climate change. Anesthesia is a “carbon hotspot,” yet few data exist to compare anesthetic choices.

Anesthesiology

December, 2021

12 Steps to Improve Environmental Impact from RCSEd

Check out the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh's 12 quick steps to improve your environmental impact in operating theatres!

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

November, 2021

Greener AHP Hub

The Greener AHP Hub is a resource for Allied Health Professionals. It provides information and clear actionable steps which AHPs can take to improve their own environmental sustainability. The hub complements the

NHS England

October, 2021

Remote Consultations: Do they reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Your Guide to calculating the Answer (2021 version)

September, 2021

The Nitrous Oxide Project

This project was started by Alifia Chakera, with support from CSH Fellows Chris Allen and Amarantha Fennell-Wells and The Association of Anaesthetists Environmental Champions. Following investigations by

August, 2021