UHP Publishes its 2024/2025 Annual Sustainability Report
It’s that time of year again! We have refreshed our Annual Sustainability Report 2024/2025 to incorporate the work completed this year and our plans for the next.
Our Annual Sustainability Report provides an update on the Trust’s progress towards both its corporate objectives articulated in the Green Plan and the principal risks set out in the Board Assurance Framework (BAF), and its responsibilities to report and deliver on achieving a net zero carbon estate by 2040. Broader sustainability commitments in terms of behavioural change, procurement plans and collaboration initiatives with partners are also included.
The report covers how over the past 12 months, the Trust has continued to embed its sustainability programme across both clinical and non-clinical departments with some excellent success. Special mention goes out to the theatres team who developed a Green Theatres programme, our Pharmacy team who are reviewing the use of low carbon medicines, and our Emergency Department who were successfully awarded the bronze accreditation for the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Green ED programme. Additionally, over the past year staff have continued to complete Carbon Literacy for Healthcare training. This latest cohort included clinicians, pharmacists, radiographers, waste management staff, and scientists—broadening the reach of climate awareness across key departments and further embedding sustainability into daily operations.
We also made headway in terms of patient and staff travel; our focus on virtual and remote care continues to deliver environmental and patient benefits. In 2024/25, Non-Face-to-Face Appointments and Patient Initiated Follow Up resulted in 5.47 million patient travel miles saved, 120,000 hours of patient time saved, 70,000 car parking spaces avoided, and a reduction of 1,119 tonnes of CO₂. Cycling facilities for staff were enhanced with the installation of a new bike shelter at the Maternity Building, providing improved security and weather protection for staff arriving by bike.
What’s more, our Site Services teams were successful in funding bids to increase the use of renewable energy on site and energy efficiency measures, which will significantly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We saw the introduction of a beautifully illustrated green spaces map, to help staff and patients identify garden areas across the Derriford Hospital site. And our waste policy was refreshed with a staff education and awareness programme developed to ensure we are disposing of our waste responsibly. Alongside this, we are now able to generate heat from the waste that we burn following an extensive refurbishment to our onsite incinerator. Download the report and read about all this and more! For more info, please email the Sustainability team at plh-tr.sustainability@nhs.net
