NHS Scotland takes ‘world-leading step’ in further reducing healthcare emissions across the country

Expansion of NHS Scotland’s drive to reduce environmental impact from services producing higher emissions is ‘a world-leading step’ insists a key partner in realising the country’s innovation goals. 

The Green Healthcare Scotland (GHS) initiative, led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), is extending its carbon-cutting approach into renal and endoscopy services – considered to be two of care’s most resourceintensive areas with significant emissions. 

Innovation support agency InnoScot Health believes that this commitment to greener, more sustainable healthcare, and encouragement for clinical involvement in realising environmental aims across the country’s renal and endoscopy services, is a timely move. 

Innovation Commercialisation Manager at InnoScot Health, Frances Ramsay said: “Green Healthcare Scotland builds hugely on the success of the National Green Theatre Programme which has markedly reduced the carbon footprint of operating theatres. 

“As a result of the programme, NHS Scotland officially stopped using anaesthetic gases desflurane and nitrous oxide in hospital theatres due to their high global warming potential, in turn becoming the first country to do so. The ambition now is to achieve net zero anaesthetic gas emissions by 2027.  

“Furthermore, another timely, world-leading step has been taken with a fresh commitment to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of renal and endoscopy departments across NHS Scotland with renal care, particularly haemodialysis, being a major contributor to emissions in hospitals.” 

She added: “We are also delighted that clinical staff are able to play a leading role in influencing positive change and directly support NHS Scotland’s journey to becoming a net zero organisation by 2040 – they know the issues best and where the most effective, targeted impact can be made. 

“Embedding sustainability into every clinical and managerial decision across NHS Scotland is vital if we are to achieve net zero targets.” 

Head of Climate Change Delivery for CfSD, David Taggart, said: “Green Healthcare Scotland is about making sustainability part of everyday clinical decision making. 

“By treating environmental impact as a core element of quality and valuebased care, we are supporting teams to deliver excellent patient outcomes while reducing waste, cutting carbon and making better use of public resources. 

“By cutting unnecessary waste and energy use, we can support staff, improve efficiency and help NHS Scotland meet its climate commitments.” 

The Scottish Government’s National Clinical Lead for Quality and Safety, John Harden, said: “By expanding this work beyond theatres, we’re making sustainability part of everyday healthcare across Scotland.” 

As the first UK health service to make a net zero pledge, the NHS Scotland strategy is initially focusing on reducing emissions by 75% by 2030, transferring to renewable heating, expanding electric vehicles, and implementing ‘Green Theatres’. 

InnoScot Health launched a sustainability innovation call in 2022 and continues to welcome collaborative, environmentally friendly ideas from NHS, industry, and academia that can help Scottish healthcare to adapt, develop, and strengthen in response to climate change.