How can your GP practice become more sustainable?

An easy place to start when implementing green strategies within your surgery would be to replicate the changes made by other practices - like Colton Mill Medical Practice - or to brainstorm with staff and patients for any opportunities for improvement. Other sources of information or places to start are provided below.

 

10 point green plan for practices
Gloves off campaign
Greener Practice
Medicines optimisation and sustainability

Get support to produce a Green Plan to ensure your practice’s compliance with this new CQC requirement. Environmentally sustainable actions often save money as well as improve the health and wellbeing of your staff.

Practices in Lancashire can get a free bespoke Carbon Reduction Plan worth £3,000.

The net zero module on Redmoor Health’s Digital Journey Planner can also help with the new requirement. This module will go live on Monday 28 October. A webinar is planned for 31 October.  

The action planning functionality of the modules is only available to users with an enhanced or foundation plus licence.

To encourage uptake of this new module, access will be given to all Lancashire and South Cumbria practices until the end of March.  You will then be able to export your Carbon Reduction (Green) Action Plan into excel.

If you are not already signed up, you need to create a free Digital Journey Planner account, which can be created at Digital Journey Planner.

Green Impact is a scheme which has been empowering general practices across the UK to become more sustainable through free toolkits, advice and tips. This scheme will help you reduce environmental impacts, enhance cost savings, boost staff morale and learning and align with greener NHS aspirations. 1,500 general practices are already on board.

The Lancashire and South Cumbria Training Hub website features carbon literacy e-learning modules, Greener NHS Knowledge Hub information, Green Healthcare Leadership Programme and much more! Visit Greener NHS - Lancashire and South Cumbria Training Hub (lscthub.co.uk)

These documents summarise key priority areas of focus for the United Kingdom in relation to health and climate change, supported by evidence from indicators in the 2024 Report of the Lancet Countdown* and the 2024 Europe Report of the Lancet Countdown.**

 

Visit the NHS England's Greener NHS webpage for more information about the #GoingGreen campaign in the NHS, or contact the Greener NHS team directly.

Follow this link to find free posters that encourage patients and staff to consider environmental sustainability and cut costs by saving resource. Use them in waiting rooms and staff rooms.

Resources for Green Impact for Health Toolkit – Greener Practice

The SEE Sustainability website can help you and your practice reduce your environmental impact while improving outcomes for patients and staff. 

This BMJ article by Aarti Bansal and Grant Blashki outlines six practical steps that primary care can take towards sustainable healthcare that align with evidence-informed and person-centred practice. 

Read the article.

Health and sustainability practitioners from different parts of the world discuss measures to decarbonise our hospitals and healthcare.

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