Topic

zero-waste theatres

Amelia Pickard
Amelia Pickard • 5 April 2021
21 comments

Hi all,

I am a paediatric anaesthetist in Bristol and am keen to do what I can to reduce the environmental impact if healthcare.

I am the clinical representative on our Trust Sustainable Procurement Workstream. As many of you will know, procurement is responsible for over 60% of our carbon emissions so we are focussing on how we can reduce this by moving away from a linear economy to a circular one.  As part of our work we have identified a requirement for new solutions and alternative products that will support a transition to Zero Waste Operating Theatres. We are leading an innovation procurement project with the support of NHS England and NHS Improvement and Healthcare Without Harm Europe.  We are reaching out to other NHS Trusts that may have a similar need and may in the future be interested in buying such a solution and/or collaborating in this initiative.

We have written a statement of demand which outlines the current issues and our need for innovative solutions from the supply chain.  It will be published and going out for market evaluation in a couple of weeks.  Before that we are looking for other NHS Trusts to support the statement. 

If you are interested in seeing the statement (it isn't for wide distribution yet) I would be very happy to hear from you and I can send it via email.

Showing support would mean that your Trusts name goes on the Statement and shows that you agree that we need to change the way we do things all the way up the supply chain. It doesn't hold you to anything. The more Trusts that support the Statement, the more motivated the supply chain will be. 

I look forward to hearing from you

Amelia Pickard (consultant paediatric anaesthetist, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children)

Comments (21)

Louise Webster
Louise Webster • 3 years ago

Hi Amelia

I would be really interested to read this statement as I am having talks currently with procurement for our theatres. I agree that we need to work together in order to influence the supply chain higher up in order to achieve a more sustainable practice. I am the sustainablity lead for anaesthesia in my trust and have set up our Green theatres group. You can email me at louisewebster2@nhs.net

Many thanks,

Louise

Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

 

Emma Evans
Emma Evans • 3 years ago

Hi Louise I'm the sustainability lead for my Trusts operating theatres and I'm actively pursuing various suppliers within our supply chain around reducing  single use plastic on both procedural packs, general packaging and anaesthetic equipment lines. I'd love to join your efforts and would be very interested in your statement. You can contact me via Emma.Evans@stgeorges.nhs.uk

many thanks

Emma

Heather Baid
Heather Baid • 3 years ago

Hello Amelia and Louise

You may have seen the SHARE conference advertised already, but if not, here's the webpage with further information including Zoom registration link (free online event). 

There will be a number of oral presentations and themes within keynote sessions related to sustainable practices in healthcare, including specific talks on theatres and anaesthetics.  The full programme of oral presentations will be released next week.

https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/sustainabilityhealth/conference-2021/

Hope you can join us and please do tell others who may be interested in attending our first every virtual event.  The SHARE conference will be collaboratively hosted by the University of Brighton, Brighton and Sussex Medical School and Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. 

Amelia, I will pass on your message to NHS colleagues who may be interested in your initiative.

Thanks,

Heather (University of Brighton)

Paul Rich
Paul Rich • 3 years ago

Hi Amelia,

I am the sustanability lead for ACCT (acute services and theatres) at Royal Cornwall Trust and we would be very interested also. We have just started a few projects with regards to procurement in theatres; "War on excess packaging" - highlighting and feeding back where we feel that supplies are packaged excessively or inappropriately and asking for suppliers to mark their packaging plastics to help with recycling or at least let us know what they are. In addition to this we have been promoting for sustainable ranking and life cycle carbon costs to be given a higher profile within the procurement process. I agree that procurement has a massive role to play and look forward to hopefully  collaborating in this initiative.

Paul

Bu'Hussain Hayee
Bu'Hussain Hayee • 3 years ago

Hi Paul, Amelia, everyone!

I would also be keen to join. b.hayee@nhs.net.

Paul, I work with Will Stableforth who I am sure you know. On behalf of NHS London Sustainability, British Society of Gastro and the Green Endoscopy group, I have also set up a meeting with the ABHI (Association of British Healthtech Industries) to ensure they have their messaging and Net Zero aims aligned with the demand from the clinical teams to whom they supply. Procurement is a huge part of this of course. Happy to have others involved in that meeting, or involve at a subsequent one.

Best wishes

Bu

Paul Rich
Paul Rich • 3 years ago

Hi there, greetings from the far southwest. Please keep me in the loop with regards to future meetings and outcomes. I would be keen to support / join any industry lobbying group as I agree that procurement has such a large role to play. We want to see all equipment and in particular its packaging marked with appropriate recycling symbols AND some indication of its actual carbon footprint - just as the food industry has to declare calories etc.

Paul

Amelia Pickard
Amelia Pickard • 3 years ago

Hi Emma,

If you could please send me your email address and let me know where you work then I can forward on the statement. It would be great if your Trust could support us.

Many thanks

Amelia

Paul Rich
Paul Rich • 3 years ago

Hi Amelia
I have shared the statement with my managerial colleagues and we would like to sign up as Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. Cheers
Paul

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