From Board to Ward – July 2025
We’re celebrating this month – celebrating patients getting quicker access to the care they need, especially in an emergency. We’re celebrating a few of our colleagues and the kindness and diligence they’ve shown that has made a very tangible difference to patients or proven through their work that our environment is safe in terms of good air quality. As a big organisation, it’s important we have a strong plan for sustainability. So how are we doing our Green Plan objectives, with things like carbon footprint and biodiversity? We’ve created a summary of 3 highlights from this month’s Board leaders meeting …
In July’s Board to Ward we share three highlights:
How are we doing for our patients?
If you are a patient needing urgent or emergency care
In July, 72% of patients needing urgent and emergency care were seen, treated and discharged or admitted within 4 hours. This is great news for patients and ahead of our improvement plan. Our teams held a Reset Week in July focusing on Positive Patient Placement and a THINK 30 minutes for ambulance handovers with SWAST and local partners. As a result, the ambulance Cat 1 response time has improved to an average of 5 minutes and Cat 2 response time has reduced from 90 to 26 minutes.
Our system wide plan offers patients alternatives to admission, reducing the need for some to be admitted to hospital and our work on getting patients to the right specialist ward if they are admitted as an inpatient, improves outcomes, experience and reduces the time they spend in hospital.
If you are a patient waiting for a diagnostic test
84% of patients waiting for a diagnostic test were seen within 6 weeks, but 16% of patients on the diagnostic waiting list had waited over 6 weeks for their test. This is worse than we had planned for. But we continue to outperform both the national position (22.0%) and NHS Devon (35.5%).
If you are a patient with suspected cancer
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28-Day Faster Diagnosis Standard: 83% of patients received a diagnosis within 28 days of being referred, narrowly missing the 84% plan.
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62-Day Treatment Standard: 60% of patients were treated within 62 days, underperforming against the 69% plan. We remain focused on recovering this.
Reduced infection rates
We have seen positive progress in terms of reducing our Healthcare Acquired Infections and timely response to patient concerns and complaints
What are we doing to reduce waits for patients even more?
We are driving through maximum use of our clinics, theatres and other capacity and optimising productivity. We are also undertaking additional weekend working for specialties with areas of high risk around cancer or long waits for planned treatment, where productivity and efficiency targets are being met.
Celebrating just a few of our fabulous staff
Two outstanding colleagues have been presented with ViP Awards in recognition of their exceptional commitment, compassion, and service to patients and families. Debbie Veale, a domestic staff member received the award following heartfelt praise from a family member of a terminally ill patient. Debbie was described as a pillar of kindness and support during an incredibly difficult time. Rob Ashby, a Site Services Security Officer, was also recognised for his courageous and compassionate response to a critical mental health emergency.
Has a member of our team ever been so outstanding you’d like to nominate them to receive an award? Nominate a team member on our VIP Awards page
A recent study of air pollution levels in and around Derriford Hospital has contributed towards the Trust’s objective of an ‘excellent’ score in the Clean Air Hospital Framework, as set out in our Green Plan. Future Hospitals Programme Support Manager, Elliot West, recently graduated from the MSc Environmental Consultancy programme at the University of Plymouth, during which he studied the quality of air at Derriford Hospital. Elliot analysed data from air quality sensors positioned in and around Derriford Hospital, and through the assessment of air pollution levels was able to scientifically demonstrate that the air quality is good, meeting the standards necessary to ensure a safe environment for both patients and staff. Congratulations Elliot on completing your Masters degree.
Our Green Plan is flourishing
We’ve got a Green Plan and it’s flourishing thanks to the clinical leaders and sustainability team who are driving these changes. Our Board received the Annual Sustainability Report which sets out the great progress we’ve made against the Green Plan objectives. We are on track with 5 out of 6 of the objectives and have a roadmap to deliver statutory net zero targets. Our objectives are to:
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Reduce the Trust’s NHS Carbon Footprint by 80% by 2032 and achieve net zero by 2040
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Reduce the Trust’s NHS Carbon Footprint Plus (including our wider supply chain) by 80% by 2039 and achieve net zero by 2045
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Achieve 10% biodiversity gain by 2030, across the UHP estate
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Adopt the Clean Air Hospital Framework to achieve an excellent score of 70% by 2028
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Reduce the risk rating of the climate change risk assessment by 20% by 2025
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Adopt a sustainable model of care for each clinical pathway by 2030
Examples of what we’ve done
We continue to reduce the environmental impact of our purchasing by transitioning from single-use to sustainable alternatives. Over the past year, reusable versions of kidney dishes, jugs, gallipots, bowls, and patient belongings bags have replaced single-use items in theatres, with further changes planned for tourniquets, emergency department suture sets, and gowns. Infection Prevention and Control has supported the shift away from disposable couch roll by endorsing disinfection between patients, while the Emergency Department has introduced paper-based patient ID bands—cutting plastic use and reducing costs.
Achievement against objectives
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We are on track to achieve our Clean Air Hospital Framework target of 75% by 2028. Our current score is 45%.
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We have achieved our target of reducing the risk rating in the Climate Change Risk Assessment by 20%. This is currently ay 80%.
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Biodiversity improvement is a long process that requires detailed surveys that we aim to reproduce in future years. We have estimated a gradual improvement. Our target for 2030 is 10% and our current score is 5%
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Sustainable models of care: Our 2030 target is 100% and our current score is 10%. The guidance requires focus on reducing emissions in one clinical area, whereas we are already delivering emissions reduction in multiple areas – for example, Pharmacy, The Emergency Department, and Theatres.
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We are on track to achieve our carbon footprint reduction target. Our 2032 target is 80% and our current score is 61%.
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We have implemented many measures to support the reduction of carbon footprint plus emissions meaning that we remain on track to achieve our carbon reduction target of 80% by 2039. Our current score is 52%. The measure implemented include:
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Increasing virtual appointments reducing unnecessary travel.
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Reducing the use of single-use items such as gloves and couch roll.
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Increasing the use of sustainable alternatives products.
Thanks for reading. Every month our Board leaders meet in public.
