A Network for everyone interested in improving the environmental sustainability of operating theatres.

UK health services unprepared for climate change, warns major new health alliance

UK health services are currently unprepared for the risks posed by climate change, warns a major new health alliance launching today.

Award for Sustainability in Anaesthesia

Applications are now open for a grant award for those interested in sustainability in anaesthesia (closing date 29 April 2016).

Health sector hits first target in combating climate change - SDU report

The health sector is over the first hurdle in the race to reach carbon reduction targets and help limit the effects of climate change.

Green Ward Competitions launched in Dartford & Gravesham and UCLH

January offers staff at UCLH and Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trusts the chance to welcome in the New Year by developing greener approaches to the work of their ward/unit.

New CHP at Dartford and Gravesham

A shiny new Combined Heat & Power plant has just opened at Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust as the first of a year of initiatives which will

Progress on Ethylene Oxide in Sri Lanka

Ethylene Oxide sterilization has been use for recycling some consumable surgical items in Sri Lanka as well as rest of South Asia.

New award for excellence in sustainability: Developing a green anaesthesia agenda

There is a new award for sustainability in anaesthesia.

Reducing waste in the theatre environment

I'm a junior doctor interested in reducing the amount of clinical waste produced by the theatres in the hospital that I work in, much as the recycling project in the Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital did.

http://networks.sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/networks/sustainable-operating-theatres/introducing-recycling-operating-theatres-oxford-case-study

It would be great to hear from others who are implementing similar projects, or know of similar projects that are currently in operation.

Syringes and Sustainability: Planet, People, Profit

Sustainability in Ophthalmology

In Sustainability in Ophthalmology the Royal College of Ophthalmologists calls for leadership from the profession and the healthcare industry to develop best practice and integrate these into our service redesign. This is a position paper from the College, designed for Ophthalmologists, alli

Royal College of Ophthalmologists

April, 2013

CleanMed 2013 - call for case studies

CSH is hosting this year's CleanMed Europe conference, 17-19 September 2013.

Are online journals actually greener compared to the print versions?

It is perceived that online medical journals have a smaller carbon footprint as well as costs, than its printed version. Subscription rates for online and print versions of most medical journals portray this difference. BJS is an exception to this practice. Reliable evidence is hard to come by with regard to the carbon footprint of print products and downloading journal articles; the available evidence is confusing. It may be opportune for this forum to consolidate the evidence of the carbon footprint of print vs. online medical journals.

Green Ward Winners at the Whittington

A competition including a brief intervention, designed by CSH has had an immediate impact at Whittington, including going from 0 - 60 bags of waste recycled per week in one operating theatre. Hugh Montgomery, climate expert and Whittington clinician, inspired 3 departments to compete for cash and energy-saving prizes which have just been awarded.

Cost-Effective and Sustainable Surgery

The Association of Surgeons in Great Britain and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have published a Consensus Statement on Cost-effective and Sustainable Surgery. The statement is based on presentations, discussions and interactive sessions at a Consensus Conference which was held on 10th November 2011 in Dublin.

Introducing recycling into the operating theatres (Oxford case study)

The Oxford University Hospitals Trust has reduced the amount of waste going to landfill or incineration by introducing recycling into the operating theatre setting. Previously all waste from clinical areas was disposed of via orange clinical waste bags.

Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

April, 2012

Lots of sustainability in current edition of AA

Many of you are probably already aware, but there are lots of articles on sustainability issues in this month's Anaesthesia & Analgesia - see:&

Recycling, but what about Reduce & Reuse

After sucessfully launching a recycling scheme in 34 theatres, across 3 theatre suites, we've got a motivated multidisciplinary group who would lik

AAGBI environment pages

The AAGBI’s Anaesthesia and the environment section of their website.

AAGBI

Climate Week: Whittington Hospital Green Ward Competition

"How can we involve clinical departments in our Climate Week?" wondered the team at Whittington Hospital, which has been setting up a series of green events for 12-16 March 2012. The answer: a Green Ward Competition. Five clinical areas - including theatres - are competing for a £500 cash prize to be awarded for the best carbon reduction project.

Reducing the Environmental Impact of the Operating Theatre

This is a poster I presented to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Orlando, Florida in December 2010, following work I'd done in the day theatre suite of Jersey General Hospital.

Frank Swinton

November, 2010

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Browse this Networks's Resources in the Resource Library

PVC Recovery case study - Dunedin NZ

May, 2019

Reduction and standardization of surgical instruments in pediatric inguinal hernia repair

One way of reducing waste in theatre is to think about the surgical instruments we use (or open and don’t use!).

Journal of Pediatric Urology February 2018 Volume 14, Issue 1, Pages 20–24

February, 2019

A new role for anaesthetists in environmentally sustainable healthcare?

Our article published today! "The contribution of anaesthesia to the environmental impact of healthcare is significant and visible, but amenable to change. We believe that this places anaesthetists in an ideal position to lead educational initiatives on environmental sustainability."

C. L. Shelton, S. C. McBain, F. Mortimer, S. M. White. Anaesthesia.

March, 2019

The impact of surgery on global climate: a carbon footprinting study of operating theatres in three health systems.

This (open access) paper compares the carbon footprint of 3 operating theatres (UK, US and Canada). It is really interesting to see how different institutional practices influence the carbon footprint, once again highlighting the significant reductions achieved by reducing desflurane usage.

Lancet Planet Health

December, 2017

Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Laparoscopic Surgery

A really interesting article looking at the individual contribution of different methods of ‘greening’ strategies in operating theatres.

Am J Public Health. 2018 Apr;108(S2):S158-S164

April, 2018

A prospective clinical, cost and environmental analysis of a clinician-led virtual urology clinic

An example of how surgeons can help reduce carbon emissions outside of theatres too!

Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England

January, 2019

Greening the Operating Room™ Checklist

Practice Greenhealth is an American organisation working to promote sustainable, eco-friendly practices in healthcare https://practicegreenhealth.org/initiatives/greening-operating-room.

https://practicegreenhealth.org

February, 2019

Pragmatic Recycling of Paper and Cardboard in the Operating Theatre: An Audit

This study audited the introduction of recycling of paper and cardboard within an operating theatre. All waste within a single operating theatre was collected by a dedicated team for 20 surgical cases.

Journal of perioperative practice

March, 2017