Sustainability
Our mission is to offer outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them. We understand the broader environmental context of zero carbon and know that reduced emissions equals reduced admissions. Over the years we have been continually improving the environmental performance of the Trust, some highlights are presented below.
Working within the Integrated Care System, we will be at the heart of improving the wellbeing of our communities, and will be in a strong position to achieve the NHS’s net zero carbon targets:
- For emissions we control directly, net zero by 2040
- For emissions we can influence, net zero by 2045
To help guide us towards those targets, we have developed a Green Plan. The Green Plan outlines our priorities for the next three years. We focus on all areas, from reducing the use of unnecessary plastics to improving the quality of our green spaces; from reducing our food waste to making our buildings more energy efficient. Please click here to read DCHFT's Green Plan.
Progress with our Green Plan
Here are some recent examples relating to the Green Plan themes.
Sustainable Models of Care
Nitrous oxide has been a helpful gas that contributed to safe anaesthesia and sedation for patients over the past 150 years! However, after it is exhaled it stays in the atmosphere for over a hundred years, contributing to global warming. Anaesthetists use this drug sparingly now, but it still contributes 2% of the total NHS England carbon footprint, and 75% of the total anaesthetic gas footprint. A significant portion of nitrous oxide emissions are due to waste from storage cylinders or manifolds and the associated piped infrastructure.
Dorset County Hospital has recently shut down its nitrous oxide manifold system, thus saving all the system loses around the site. The cylinders will not be returned to the British Oxygen Company until they have a system of crushing the nitrous oxide.
Sustainability Champions and ‘Ecoearn’
The Crisp Bag Project was started in 2019 with the idea to re-use old crisp packets and make them into Bivi sleeping bags, survival blankets, ponchos and kit bags to name a few. This was done to protect the homeless from the elements and it in turn saved lives. The idea came from the realisation that the silver side of the crisp bags reflects heat and puts it back into your body and is waterproof.
It takes 44 bags of crisps to make a blanket and 150 to make a Bivi and many hours from all the volunteers, but all this is giving new life to single use plastics and helping someone who has nothing and is living on the streets.
Sustainable Models of Care
Hand Therapy are working to reduce the amount of thermoplastic waste they create when bespoke splinting is needed as part of treating wrist and hand, injuries and conditions. The team are skilled in the usual way of making splints, using thermoplastic materials heated in water baths and moulded to the patient. This material is not biodegradable and discarded after use. Together with plastic offcuts Hand Therapy measured 2.4kgs of waste created over 1 month– not including splints patients threw away. The team set a target to reduce plastic waste by 50% over 3 months. They worked with a new splinting material company Woodcast, with compostable alternatives, made from wood chips and a biodegradable polymer. The Woodcast is heated in a dry heater only switched on when in use, saving electricity compared with water baths on all day. A remeasure of the thermoplastic waste saw a reduction to 1.6kgs in 1 month! The woodcast offcuts are collected and recycled into new material.
Adaption
Staff have established a wildflower meadow between the Robert White Centre and Bridport Road. This has matured into a high-quality outdoor space that staff, patients, visitors and wildlife all enjoy.
It has also saved the hospital money in grounds maintenance costs, since it is only cut twice a year compared to the three-weekly grass cutting schedule. This meadow increases the biodiversity of the area, and the hope is to attract more bees and butterflies.
To enhance this space, there will also be a seating area in the centre of the meadow, where patients and staff can sit, relax and reflect.
Estates and Facilities
Tiffany in Waste Management has managed to save £68.3k with the rehoming service, this equated to around 4.1 tonnes being saved from landfill. This is a huge increase from the £32.5k saved last year!
Tiffany said: “The achievement I am most proud of is managing to source a route for donating old crutches that we are unable to use. Any crutches that aren’t eligible for NRS to collect unfortunately, often need to be disposed of. This seemed like a real shame as they were in almost perfect condition and could be used. I have managed to get a charity called physio-net to collect old crutches, commodes, wheelchairs and walking frames, which will then be taken to developing countries. Our most recent collection went to the Ukraine.”
Workforce and System Leadership
Lauren read about Dorset NHS Liftshare before taking up her post at Dorset County Hospital. It helps reduce CO2 emissions and saves money on commutes. People within NHS Dorset can register a journey so you can arrange to travel together, like Bev and Lauren pictured here. You can post your journey on the website or app as a driver, passenger or both, then decide on journeys to share once you find a match.
There is also a guaranteed ride home scheme to ensure you always get home. “It's been interesting to meet each other and flexible within our lift share team. We all feel good about reducing our environmental impact and it is an alternative to the train when needed, combatting rising travel costs. It has been a helpful way of getting to work and sharing costs.”
Medicines
Up on the Maternity Unit staff are now using ice or ‘cool sticks’ instead of ethyl chloride spray, to test the success of a spinal block injection.
This is far better for the environment than spray cans due to the carbon release from the gas and that used in their recycling, along with transport costs.
Ice isn’t available in general theatres, so they now also use 'cool sticks' a stainless steel stick, with handles, kept in the fridge then held on to the skin to check for cold sensation.
Travel and Transport
Shaun cycles to Dorset County Hospital. Working in the Estates Department, his role covers several areas, including making sure the hospitals greenspaces are well maintained. He makes use of the existing facilities of lockable bike racks and showers but there is also a Bicycle Users Group (BUG) in the hospital which has put forward suggestions to improve the facilities for cyclists. DCH are looking at active travel in conjunction with Dorset Council, not just to benefit current cyclists, but attracting others from the workforce to undertake active and low carbon journeys into DCH.
Shaun said: “I cycle in all weathers; it helps having the right kit, and there is a bike and accessories discount salary sacrifice arrangement, with details on the staff intranet. I feel this benefits my wellbeing and fitness, and it feels positive to get to work in a low carbon way that saves money and helps us maintain good air quality.”
Food and Nutrition
The Hospital Catering team have achieved the Food for Life Served Here, Soil Association, Bronze Standard award. This includes ensuring there are gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options on the daily menus. They are working to serve fresh food, champion local food producers, like Craig's Dairy, and make healthy eating easy. The team are working hard to reduce food waste by planning their, dietician approved, menus on a seasonal basis, stock rotation, storage and using a biodigester for any food waste. The biodigester takes in solids and with microorganisms, turns it into wastewater over a 24-hour period - reducing waste to landfill and replacing lorry journeys with an onsite solution.
Sustainable Models of Care
Hand Therapy are working to reduce the amount of thermoplastic waste they create when bespoke splinting is needed as part of treating wrist and hand, injuries and conditions. The team are skilled in the usual way of making splints, using thermoplastic materials heated in water baths and moulded to the patient. This material is not biodegradable and discarded after use. Together with plastic offcuts Hand Therapy measured 2.4kgs of waste created over 1 month– not including splints patients threw away. The team set a target to reduce plastic waste by 50% over 3 months. They worked with a new splinting material company Woodcast, with compostable alternatives, made from wood chips and a biodegradable polymer. The Woodcast is heated in a dry heater only switched on when in use, saving electricity compared with water baths on all day. A remeasure of the thermoplastic waste saw a reduction to 1.6kgs in 1 month! The Woodcast offcuts are collected and recycled into new material.
Highlights from our journey towards zero carbon
Energy and carbon management
Energy usage and consumption is one of the most difficult assets to manage in a large, complex and diverse organisation like DCHFT. Thanks to the Carbon Energy Fund (CEF), we were able to invest in a Combined Heat and Power Plant and significant LED lighting replacements. This has reduced the carbon emissions associated with our energy consumption by around 25%.
Electric vehicles
We were one of the first organisations in the local area to install electric vehicle charging points, providing charging facilities for staff and visitors. The new multi-storey car park will further increase this capacity.
Ecoearn
In May 2022, along we other Trusts in Dorset, we launched a new online platform and app for staff to reward them for taking action to reduce carbon emissions, cut down on waste and look after wellbeing.
Ecoearn encourages employees to take both positive environmental and wellbeing actions. It recognises these actions through monthly rewards. The aim is to involve employees in sustainability and wellbeing activities, reducing our direct and indirect carbon targets.
Users are grouped into work teams and compete to earn the most Green Points as individuals and as a team. Performance is displayed on the web and app leader board. Each month, the top 5 performing individuals are rewarded with £20 vouchers. 6 x £10 vouchers are also raffled across any active users.