West Midlands - Greening Theatres: The New Cross Experience

Greening Theatres: The New Cross Experience

Authors: Ranvir Cheema, Janet Smith and Bhagyashree Netke Trust: RWT

The world is facing a climate emergency, with the concentration of greenhouse gases and global temperatures rising. The climate emergency also creates a health emergency, posing direct threats to health.

Our Trust was responsible for 19034 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2019 and we have committed to reducing our carbon footprint by 25% by 2025. Our larger initiatives include the creation of a 30-acre solar farm which will aim to provide ¾ of our annual energy requirements, as well as reducing air pollution from fleet vehicles by moving from ultra-low emission vehicles to electric vehicles and reducing care miles through the use of virtual clinic appointments, saving 1,864,673 of patient travel miles and representing a reduction of 343.7 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

May 2022

We are also trying to empower colleagues to make more sustainable choices through:

·An Anaesthetics Junior Doctor Sustainability Group and Sustainability Lead, with plans to roll this out across all specialties. ·Setting up a monthly “Sustainability Lunch Hour” for all colleagues across the Trust to dial into and find out about our latest projects. ·A network of climate change champions in each of our theatre departments that is introducing reusable caps amongst other initiatives. ·A waste management project that is evaluating staff awareness of correct waste disposal practices, reducing the amount of clinical waste generated and increasing recycling in clinical and non-clinical areas. ·Reviewing usage of nitrous oxide and ending the purchase of desflurane. ·Changing staff attitudes towards the more environmentally friendly use of total intravenous anaesthesia, in favour of volatile agents. ·Setting up a sterile packs project to reduce unused items in packs that are wasted. ·Using patient warming technologies that generate less waste.

May 2022

To quote George Bernard Shaw, “progress is impossible without

change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot

change anything.” We hope that through re-educating our colleagues, we can change engrained practices and play our part in protecting the environment.