Climate Action Summit 2019
Posted by: karin.bond at 3:54 pm on October 28th, 2019
CHoICE are proud to support South Tyneside & Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust as they have welcomed and embraced the first NHS Long-term Plan published in January 2019. This includes key aims of underpinning sustainability: greater emphasis on prevention; patient-centered care; and integration across current silos, are all central to the 10 year plan. Alongside changing models of care, there are also some specific carbon reduction and efficiency targets.
Sustainability” is therefore at the heart of the NHS Long Term Plan, with CHoICE sharing in these overriding objectives. When it comes to sustainability in an environmental sense, CHoICE as the Trusts independent provider of most of the non-clinical services, are establishing a vital link, to lead on many of the early initiatives to reduce carbon footprints, while developing more user friendly and highly efficient services.
Some basic examples of the work CHoICE are leading on include the continued development of our waste streams, with a process now well established to ensure none of our waste goes to landfill, and up to 80% of our waste is recycled.
Our new Transport fleet is now well established with a complete range of more carbon-neutral vehicles. We offer staff free transport between our two main hospitals to reduce the number of cars traveling between sites. Discounted public transport tickets, and a car share scheme are also well established within the Trust, operated by CHoICE Facilities services. A salary sacrifice scheme to offer staff easier access to bicycles has also been introduced to encourage more cycling to work.
LEDs have become the preferred source of lighting, with a programme of replacement now well advanced. The Trust were successful in applying for £1.7M to replace the current lighting in the Sunderland Royal Hospital with new LED lighting. This will realise energy savings and reduce the carbon foot print for the site.
CHoICE are committed to continuing to work towards even greater reductions in the carbon footprint, to help the trust exceed the objectives laid out in the national plan, and would welcome all ideas and suggestions as we move collectively towards a greener and more environmentally sustainable service provision.
