Tens of thousands of pounds have been saved following a three year campaign by NHS Forth Valley theatre staff at Forth Valley Royal Hospital to reduce their carbon footprint and help save the planet. Measures taken have included discontinuing the use of one of three anaesthetic gases which stays in the atmosphere longer than similar substances and has a higher contribution to global warming, reducing the amount of waste which requires to be incinerated or heat treated and segregating cardboard waste. The bid to reduce the carbon footprint has been achieved without impacting on patient care or the efficient running of the department.
NHS Forth Valley, Consultant Anaesthetist, Ewan Jack, Clinical Lead for Theatres, said: “The recycling doesn’t stop within the operating theatres, it has spread to the coffee room and administration offices in the theatre department. All recyclable waste is now being segregated and we’d encourage other departments to try a similar approach.”
A number of changes are also being taking place across the organisation to increase energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions.
- 2,000 lights have been replaced with LED fittings in 18 health centres and hospital buildings
- External lighting has been upgraded to LED at 9 health centres and hospital sites
- Older, less energy efficient boilers and heating systems have been replaced with highly efficient equipment at six sites across Forth Valley.
These changes will deliver savings of more than £40,000 a year and reduce CO2 emissions by around 160 tonnes annually. Another lighting project currently underway will see around 1400 internal and external light fittings replaced with LED equivalents saving almost £30,000 a year and reducing carbon emissions by a further 75 tonnes annually.
