Positively Green

It’s that time of year again! We have refreshed our Annual Sustainability Report for 2023/24 to incorporate the work completed this year and our plans for the next. Read on to access the report and find out what we've been filling our days with.

Carly, a nurse on Pencarrow ward, has been a recycling champion for around 8 years- this sustained effort is born out of a real drive to do her bit to lessen UHP’s impact on the environment. If every department had a Carly, we’d be on our way to our sustainability goals in no time!

After working for almost a year on the actions described in the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Green ED programme, we are super excited to announce that Derriford’s Emergency Department has achieved the Bronze award!

The fifth member of the Sustainability Team is only 60cm tall, but his environment-saving skills are mega…Introducing Sven the Sustainability Seal of Approval!

As an organisation, UHP continues to implement changes to our outpatient pathways to improve patient experience, support a greener service delivery and reduce unnecessary appointments, the latter of which contributes to a reduction in clinical risk.  Some of the key areas of change are outlined in this blog...

Typically, about 10-20% of energy used in building is wasted due to inefficient processes. As a result, the Trust has committed to systematically investing in energy efficiency and renewability technologies to minimise energy wastage. Read on to find out about some of these schemes. 

Bike Week (10^th-16^th June) is the UK’s biggest awareness-raising moment of the year for cycling. It’s a time to remind ourselves of all the positives that riding a bike can bring, including boosting communities’ health and wellbeing, as well as the reduction in air pollution and fuel consumption which is good for the planet. To mark the occasion, we caught up with one of our #bikeheros Matthew, a Clinical Research Nurse, and a member of our Bicycle User Group (BUG).

As a team, we recognise the interconnectedness between wellbeing and nature and have previously featured several examples of their crossover on the blog. The latest joint project is the Learning from Excellence card design competition where a panel of three judges will be selecting three winning nature images to use for the card designs, with an additional £20 gift voucher for the winners.

UHP’s sustainability team and the IPCT team are aligned on the importance of reducing unnecessary glove use. Throughout May, we will be rasing awareness of the infection risk associated with inappropriate glove use and the subsequent plastic pollution this causes. 

The Mustard Tree Macmillan Cancer support centre is a hub of psychological and physiological support for cancer patients and their families. We caught up with Helen a physiotherapist, Annie a horticultural therapist and Ellie a counsellor to find out about the green prescribing courses they offer.