The BTH Green Plan has launched
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals today launches its Green Plan aimed at supporting the organisation make a real and lasting difference to the environment.
This wide-ranging plan includes ambitious targets, encompassing every area of the organisation from facilities, energy and water, waste and procurement, to sustainable models of care and food and nutrition.
Building on work that is already being done, the Trust will make sure sustainability is embedded within the organisation as it encourages colleagues to play their part while working closely with partner organisations across the Fylde Coast.
Dr. Heather Catt, Consultant in Public Health at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “Climate change affects us all as individuals but as an organisation it could ultimately affect our ability to deliver care to our patients.
“The Green Plan will act as a roadmap for us as we measure our successes and learn what works and what we could do better. It contains actions for the whole Trust that will be led at a senior level with sustainability incorporated into organisational processes.
“It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of the issue, but we know there are things everyone can do and we are making it possible for people to really make a difference – from individuals to teams and across whole services.”
The Trust is already working towards these goals, with a range of achievements to date such as:
- Purchasing electricity from renewable sources backed by Renewable Energy Guaranteed of Origin (REGO) certificates
- Minimising electricity use by switching to LED lighting across large portions of its sites
- Creating green spaces for both colleagues and visitors on site
- Operating full recycling schemes across the Trust
- Introducing facilities to encourage active travel e.g. secure cycle parking, showers and lockers
- Implementing an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) to support the roll-out of an Electronic Patient Record.
Now with the Green Plan in place, the Trust will continue to make changes to the way it operates and delivers care, ultimately looking to achieve net zero by 2040 for direct emissions.
Dr Catt added: “This plan is for everyone – we are encouraging people to become our green champions and share best practice with others and also to make simple pledges that will soon add up to make big differences.
“We’re also giving people the opportunity to suggest their own Bright Ideas that could end up as Trust policy.
“It could be as simple as focusing on taking small steps by making commitments and acting on them – turning lights off when they’re not in use, ditching single-use plastics. There will also be plenty of ideas about how individual teams or wards work that will add up to make a big difference.
“This will be an exciting journey and we encourage everyone to get to know more and find out what they can do to help.”
To find out more about the Green Plan and how you can get involved, click here.