Working with the NHS

In an ageing society with spiralling obesity levels, sustainable healthcare is an emerging priority.

The NHS is the largest single employer in Europe, with approximately 1.3 million staff. Annually it consumes £250 million worth of food and sends over 400,000 tonnes of waste to landfill.

With immediate patient welfare a necessary priority, the NHS faces a unique challenge in becoming sustainable while admissions continue to grow and budgets are being scaled back.

Coupled with this is an unprecedented rise in levels of obesity and associated health-related illnesses. This is putting further pressure on the NHS, and society as a whole, in terms of the treatment costs and the decline in quality of life for those affected.

Our approach

Our aims are two-fold:

• first to embed sustainability within the NHS’s operations, building management, staff, patients and visitors; and
• second to reduce hospital admissions through the promotion of healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.

Our work

We are currently working with the Aberfeldy Practice in East London to improve their environmental performance, increase the wellbeing of staff and patients, and save money which can be diverted back into healthcare. 

This means auditing current performance, developing staff engagement programmes and educating patients, visitors and the wider community. 

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