Our Carbon Reduction Plan

In Summary

SSP Health and its staff are inspired to implement a number of changes within the way we work to reduce our carbon footprint, after reading the NHS Green Plan and the Royal College of General Practitioners' Sustainable development, climate change and green issues statement.

The NHS Green Plan was created to support the publication of the Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service report; a comprehensive publication that provides a national-level framework for action on climate change and sustainability, and states that ‘every NHS organisation has an essential role to play in meeting this ambition’. The NHS Green Plan outlines how NHS organisations can produce a ‘three-year strategy towards net zero, offering key areas of focus and some of the main sources of carbon emissions within the NHS as a starting point.

Going Green – Changes towards Net Zero

SSP Health has implemented a number of changes to the building and the way people work, which make changes to everyday routines. A number of simple changes to their our routine, which helps the organisation move towards becoming a greener and better GP practice and place to work and visit.

These simple changes included:

• Replacing plastic cups with recyclable paper cups
• Staff use their own cups
• Collecting used batteries and ink cartridges, which we then send on to a recycling company in aid of a charity of their choice.
• Turning off electronics (instead of leaving them on or on standby) and lighting after use.
• Introducing the “think before we print” initiative. Aiming to be as paperless as practicably possible.
• Car sharing where possible
• Local staff walking to work
• Encouraging Car sharing
• Hybrid working for those who can
• Patient Communications, where practicable, are predominantly electronic, including emails, phone and text messaging services.
• Encouraging Teams meetings instead of travelling for gatherings where applicable to cut down carbon footprint and the use of vehicles.
• Communications with staff and external NHS functions and suppliers by email and phone, rather than paper. Minimise the use of paper communications and the use of the postal service.
• Patient involvement – We have a high number of patients across the organisation who have opted for the communications between them and ourselves to be via email and phone, rather than by letter. With text messages or email, communication becomes almost instant and reduces the practice's monthly spend on paper, envelopes, printer ink and postage stamps.
• A full review of prescribing Metered dose inhalers (MDIs), sometimes called ‘pumps’ or ‘puffers’ are less environmentally friendly. They contain a gas (propellant) that is a powerful greenhouse gas which adds to global warming. Some metered dose inhalers have less of the greenhouse gas in the inhaler. Dry powder inhalers (DPIs) or soft mist inhalers (SMIs) do not contain greenhouse gases and so have a lower carbon footprint. They are more environmentally friendly and we have completed a piece of work to review and switch patients where appropriate.