How the NHS in Wales is driving improvements in environmental sustainability

With funding from the Police and Community Tract (PACT), Wrexham Community Gardeners have renovated and planted the green areas around the three principal entrances to the hospital to create a comforting environment for staff, patients, and visitors.  

The group has worked closely with the health board’s estates, security, and management teams to identify areas that need improvement to create a better first impression and welcome to the site. This helps improve staff and patient wellbeing, while capitalising on the environmental impacts of green spaces such as air quality and enhancing biodiversity. 

An award-winning team of clinicians and managers at the University Hospital of Wales’ Adult Critical Care Unit have collaborated to drive change for patients and the planet, successfully reducing waste, conserving energy and making financial savings. 

Over the past five years, the team have steadily and successfully implemented a whole raft of changes, including unplugging machines not in use once fully charged and standardising the amount of ventilation tubing provided for each bed space.  

The team’s efforts have resulted in plastic waste within the unit reducing by around 2 tonnes per year, with tens of thousands of pounds saved.  

Since 2023, CTMUHB has partnered with Circular Economy Innovation Communities (CEIC) and Elite Animal Bedding, a local social enterprise to manage the health board’s cardboard waste.  

The health board produces over 3,000 tonnes of waste annually and non-confidential cardboard and paper contributes to a high percentage of this waste figure.  

The repurposed cardboard waste supports the manufacture of animal bedding which is used by South Wales Police horses and dogs. Social enterprise Elite Animal Bedding enables the creation of local jobs and training opportunities for people. The programme is a clear demonstration of CTMUHB’s commitment to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2016 and its wider role as an organisation leading the green agenda.   

The Welsh Nursing Care Record (WNCR) and DHCW’s Estates Rationalisation project have both been recognised for their sustainability efforts in the Prosperous Wales Award, which is aimed at creative and co-productive projects that deliver lower carbon outcomes, using resources resourcefully and proportionately.   

The WNCR is transforming nursing documentation by standardising and digitising forms, meaning nurses can complete assessments at the patient bedside on handheld devices.  

As part of their Estates Rationalisation project, DHCW has identified opportunities to review its estate, including lowering its carbon footprint. This involves using estates more efficiently, including new work on the ground floor of Ty Glan-yr-Afon in Cardiff. Once completed, it will offer opportunities for conferencing, user-centred design, and digital inclusion.   

HEIW have developed a new networking platform – Climate Smart Community – on Gwella, the leadership portal for healthcare staff in NHS Wales.  

The platform is a great resource for everyone involved in the delivery of sustainable and climate smart healthcare. It is also an excellent tool to learn about these areas and access information in a simple, bitesize format. As part of this, HEIW have launched the Climate Smart Conversations podcast, highlighting insights on fostering a greener, more sustainable NHS in Wales.   

As membership increases overtime, there are plans to develop the platform with a particular emphasis on addressing key areas of interest.  

During the height of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, Gemma Brown, then mass vaccination centre lead at HDUHB, inspired staff and volunteers to collect the vaccine vial lids. 

The thousands of plastic COVID-19 vaccine lids saved from landfill were used to create a bespoke piece of art to honour the incredible efforts of healthcare staff and volunteers throughout the pandemic and highlight the success of the vaccination programme.  

The artwork went onto win the Culture and Language Wales Award at this year’s Welsh Sustainability Awards, representing important areas for the health board such as sustainability, integrating art into healthcare settings and the dedication of staff and volunteers throughout the pandemic.  

Using a £4.2m grant from Welsh Government under its RE:FIT Cymru programme, PTHB are installing new solar panels, new LED lighting and improving heating systems to reduce the carbon impact of running its estate. The health board is also upgrading its roof and pipework insultation in several of its properties.    

The programme will enable the health board to secure guaranteed savings and reduce its carbon impact by accessing Energy Performance Contracts.   

Following the completion of the works, the investment will provide the health board with an estimated annual energy cost saving of £415,718 and will reduce their hospitals’ emissions by an estimated 350 tonnes of carbon each year.  

Wales has seen a 30% decrease in the total carbon footprint of inhalers issued since 2022, resulting in a reduction of 20,000 tonnes of Co2 equivalent. This is equivalent of one passenger taking 6,500 trips around the world.  

A litter-picking project involving patients at a mental health hospital in Swansea won the Resilient Wales Award at the NHS Wales Sustainability Awards. The project at Cefn Coed Hospital aim to promote patients’ wellbeing by engaging with the natural environment, encouraging them to get active and connect with others. 

The occupational health team, based in a high relational support rehabilitation unit that provides mental health care to men, links up with the Environment Centre Swansea to take patients to green spaces and beaches, using the scheme to educate patients of the importance of caring for the environment and giving them the opportunity to give back to the community. 

Introducing beehives and staff training in beekeeping at Velindre Cancer Centre has provided a unique opportunity to enhance both environmental sustainability and employee wellbeing.  

Aligning with the Welsh Government’s commitment to protect biodiversity, as outlined in the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, the trust’s beehive contributes to local ecosystems, promoting pollination and supporting declining bee populations. 

Engaging staff in beekeeping continues to foster a deeper connection with nature, recognised for its mental health benefits, and allows employees to play an active role in the trust’s sustainability efforts. Beekeeping also encourages mindfulness, teamwork and skill development, providing an enriching experience for staff, who have also been raising awareness of the importance of bees for a healthy, sustainable future. 

The Welsh Ambulance Service has been acknowledged for its commitment to reduce its environmental footprint and improve performance.  

Following detailed audits and interviews, the trust successfully retained its ISO14001 accreditation for another year. ISO14001 is an internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems, which helps organisations in detecting, managing, monitoring, and controlling environmental processes. 

The accreditation shows that the trust’s environmental management systems continue to support the strategic direction of the organisation, achieving its objectives to improve environmental performance.