The CNWL Green Plan highlights our commitment to address the climate and health emergency by achieving full net zero by 2045. To meet these goals, the Trust is looking to reduce direct emissions by 80% between 2028 and 2032, and a similar reduction in influenced emissions between 2036 and 2039.
Key initiatives under this plan include implementing electronic prescribing to reduce carbon output across pharmacy services, conducting a Trustwide recycling review to enhance recycling practices, and establishing a Sustainability Teams channel that shares resources and updates on green initiatives.
In August 2024, CNWL’s Urgent Community Response (UCR) team in Camden were shortlisted for a Nursing Times Award in the category of Sustainability in Nursing and Midwifery. This category promotes green issues and sustainable practices within the healthcare sector.
The nomination was a result of a quality improvement project led by Harry Simmonds (pictured right), Deputy Lead Nurse at the Camden UCR service.
The project addressed the increase in unnecessary hospital admissions by UCR clinicians, which not only put pressure on systems and a strain on healthcare resources, but it also had impacts for patients.
They put in place an escalation phone line, where staff can communicate with senior nurses at the patient’s bedside. Decision making was quicker and easier, and helped to reduce variations within the team.
The project had significant outcomes, resulting in decreased resource use, financial savings and less social impact for patients, their families and carers:
- The average number of unnecessary admissions decreased from five per week to two per week
- The percentage of necessary hospital admissions (those resulting in a ward stay) increased from 60% to 82%, showing that hospital admission was the correct decision.
- In terms of sustainability, the project led to a reduction of 150kg of CO2 emissions per week.