Tomorrow's earth, today's journey: Exploring pathways to sustainability
Market View
Produced by:
Interview with
Janet Smith
HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY, THE ROYAL WOLVERHAMPTON NHS TRUST
Tomorrow's earth, today's journey: Exploring pathways to sustainability
Market View
Produced by:
Interview with
Janet Smith
HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY, THE ROYAL WOLVERHAMPTON NHS TRUST
About Janet Smith
Janet Smith is the Head of Sustainability at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. With a passion for environmental stewardship in healthcare, Janet leads the implementation of both trusts' Green Plans and Climate Change Adaptation Plans. Her expertise lies in developing innovative strategies to reduce carbon footprints, enhance sustainability practices, and adapt healthcare operations to align with environmental standards.
How do you engage and motivate employees in sustainability initiatives?
We've implemented several strategies to engage our staff. One of our most successful initiatives is the Sustainability Lunch Hour. These monthly sessions are well-attended and provide a casual setting for staff to learn about the latest developments in sustainability and climate change. We discuss updates from sources like Greener NHS, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), NHS Supply Chain, and the Department of Energy, as well as the Trust's progress in implementing its Green Plan.
We've also established the Greening Services Club, where departments examine how they can reduce their carbon footprint. They look at everything from care pathways and building energy use to waste segregation and back-office functions. During our Sustainability Lunch Hours, these departments share their experiences and achievements, which not only celebrates their efforts but also inspires others.
Another effective approach is the green category which has been introduced as part of our Royal Awards ceremony. Departments get nominated, and the award ceremony is a night where everyone can dress up and feel recognised for their sustainability efforts. By making sustainability tangible, we help everyone recognise that their daily work contributes to reducing carbon emissions.
To extend our impact beyond our Trust, I organised a 'Share and Learn Forum' for NHS sustainability leads nationwide. With over sixty members, we meet bi-monthly to discuss topics like remanufactured devices, theatre decarbonisation, adaptation planning, and carbon footprint measurement. This national initiative amplifies our collective impact on healthcare sustainability through knowledge sharing.
Could you provide examples of cost-effective sustainability initiatives you've integrated into your business processes?
Despite financial constraints across the NHS, we've implemented several cost-effective initiatives which addresses both social responsibility and carbon reduction. One example is our walking aids reuse scheme. With an investment of just over a £1000 for collection bins, we've seen significant results. Last month alone, we collected over 2,000 walking aids. Some of these are reused within our trust, while surplus items are donated to charities for use in Africa and Eastern Europe.
We've also established our own internal paper recycling process, and in doing so we’ve reduced our carbon footprint significantly – saving 149 tonnes of CO2 last year in logistics and recycled 130 tonnes of confidential waste resulting in cost avoidance of £30K.
In one of our departments, we've piloted a programme to stop providing single-use plastic bags to patients. Each bag not used saves about 1.2 kilograms of CO2. This initiative has been quite successful and will be expanded to other departments. Similarly, our catering team has replaced plastic cups with paper-based ones, and our theatres staff now use reusable, washable hats.
These measures might seem small, but they make a significant difference. They're simple, everyday actions that cumulatively enhance our sustainability efforts while also being cost-effective.
By making sustainability tangible and relatable, we help everyone recognise that their daily work contributes to reducing carbon emissions across the service.
How does your procurement team evaluate and select sustainable products?
We have specific groups that oversee equipment procurement, including the Equipment Evaluation Group, the Clinical Products Evaluation Group, and the Theater Products Evaluation Group. In these groups, we utilise a sustainability impact assessment and adhere to the social value and sustainability guidance provided by NHS Supply Chain. We also encourage our suppliers to sign up to the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Framework which enables suppliers to engage with the NHS on their sustainable journey and understand how to align with the NHS Net Zero and sustainability ambitions.
Many suppliers have been proactive in working with us to reduce packaging and improve sustainability. For example, we've collaborated with suppliers to eliminate unnecessary packaging and reduce delivery frequency. In one case, this resulted in saving 76,000 miles per year in transportation and reducing plastic usage by 380 pieces. These tangible results even inspired one supplier to invest in their own electric van for deliveries.
How do you balance environmental goals with financial and operational objectives in your corporate strategy?
Our main strategy at the Trust is to look at what we already do and figure out how to improve it. One example is our furniture reuse scheme, where instead of buying new, we check if existing furniture is usable, and sometimes we collaborate with other organisations that might have surplus equipment to see what can be shared.
These initiatives help us be less wasteful and have significantly reduced our carbon emissions. The best part is that they don't cost us more—in fact, they often save us money. Ultimately, our focus is on providing quality care and excellent outcomes for our service users while enhancing the patient experience. If an initiative doesn't support these core goals, we really have to question whether it's worth pursuing.
Our main strategy at the trust is to look at what we already do and figure out how to improve it.
About The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest acute and community providers in the West Midlands, and is the largest employer in the city.. The Trust offers a comprehensive range of medical services including emergency care, elective surgery, and specialised treatments. Committed to innovation and continuous improvement, the Trust actively promotes staff development opportunities while also engaging in research to advance medical practices.
