The climate emergency is also a health emergency and unbated it will disrupt care and affect patients at every stage of their lives with poor environmental health contributing to numerous health conditions.
In response to this threat, in October 2020 the NHS became the world’s first health service to commit to reaching carbon net zero. While the targets are ambitious, they remain realistic and achievable. In order to deliver them we need both immediate action and a longer-term commitment to continuous monitoring, evaluation and innovation.
Health Innovation East is dedicated to supporting the NHS achieve its goal to ensure a healthier, safer future for everyone.
Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service sets out the considerable advances the NHS has already made in improving our carbon footprint and reducing the environmental impact of NHS services and it lays out the direction, scale and pace of change to increase level of ambition over time.
You can read Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service from Greener NHS here.
Achieving net zero depends on innovation and collaboration. The Health Innovation Network acts as a pillar in the development and uptake of technologies and best practices designed to reduce emissions in healthcare.
Health Innovation East can support organisations to understand the procurement roadmap for suppliers to access the NHS market, including to gain understanding of policy levers, requirements and knowledge of how net zero and sustainability and healthcare improvement are intrinsically linked.
Health Innovation East worked alongside Phase Change Solutions to evaluate the effectiveness of Apollo™ Smart Panels at maintaining an acceptable temperature range in pharmacy fridges in the event of a cold chain breach (e.g. a prolonged power outage).
To test the Apollo™ Smart Panel in a real-world setting, a trial was hosted in three GP surgeries within WGGL Primary Care Network (PCN). Health Innovation East conducted a series of 12 test cycles with two identical fridges (a test fridge and a control fridge) in each of the GP surgeries to simulate a prolonged power outage in a primary care setting. The test fridge was fitted with five Apollo™ Smart Panels whereas the control fridge remained empty. In each test cycle (12 cycles) the fridges were simultaneously switched off for a 24-hour period.
Results show that the test fridges fitted with the five Apollo™ Smart Panels were able to maintain their temperature more effectively than their matched control fridge (without the panels). The fridges equipped with the Apollo™ Smart Panels took an average of seven hours longer than the control fridge (in the bottom shelf) to breach a threshold of 8°C.
Health Innovation East have established a strategic partnership with Eco Sourcing Hub LTD to support innovators in implementing effective strategies to reduce their carbon footprint and mitigate the impact of climate change.
Eco Sourcing Hub LTD is a sustainability and procurement agency with an extensive background in supply chain management across a diverse range of industries. Working closely with new product development to support innovators in understanding their carbon emissions and reducing them, they offer effortless carbon calculation services in compliance with ISO 14064-1 and the GHG Protocol, as well as Carbon Reduction Plans (CRPs) that fully comply with PPN 06/21. Additionally, they provide full support for Evergreen assessment submission.
Through this partnership, we aim to empower innovators in their ambitions to meet the NHS’s net zero targets in a number of ways:
If you have an innovation that could help the NHS reach its sustainability target please complete our company engagement form.
Context
BSI, or the British Standards Institution, is a global organisation that provides standards, training, and certification services across various industries. BSI is recognised as the UK National Standards Body and as such a leading authority in promoting best practices and helping organisations improve their performance, manage risks, and achieve sustainable growth.
BSI offers sustainability courses to help organisations understand and implement sustainable practices. These courses are important given the increasing global focus on sustainability due to factors like climate change, regulations, competitive advantage, cost savings, and stakeholder expectations.
For individuals, BSI’s sustainability courses provide knowledge, skills, and networking opportunities that can enhance career prospects. For organisations, these courses offer a structured framework for integrating sustainability, facilitating continuous improvement, and building credibility and trust among stakeholders.
Embarking on a sustainability journey is crucial for an organisation’s long-term success and resilience. BSI’s sustainability courses support this journey by providing the necessary tools and best practices to navigate the complex landscape of sustainability and achieve sustainable growth.
What is this?
A suite of accredited online and in person courses available to anyone delivered by BSI experts.
Why might you be interested?
Relationship between BSI and Health Innovation East
Courses are run and administered by BSI, Health Innovation East is supporting promotion to the training service on an affiliate basis.
1. PAS 2060 eLearning course
PAS 2060 eLearning
PAS 2060 is the internationally recognised specification for carbon neutrality published by BSI. It sets out the requirements for quantifying, reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for organisations and products.
Road to net zero: terminology and principles
Who should attend?
Non-sustainability senior professionals and executives looking to develop an understanding around the language, principles, and roadmap to Net Zero
What will you learn?
By the end of this training course, you will be able to:
Access here
2. Sustainability qualification: ISO 14001 Career Pathway
ISO 14001 is the world’s most recognized environmental management system. It provides guidance on how to consider multiple aspects of your business procurement, storage, distribution, product development, manufacturing (and more), so that it reduces its impact on the environment.
Who should attend?
Anyone involved in the planning, implementing, maintaining, supervising or auditing of an ISO 14001:2015 EMS
What will you learn?
Benefits:
To access the various courses relevant to the ISO 14001 career pathway, please click the link below:
Access here
3. Requirements On-demand eLearning Training Course – ISO 14064-1:2018
Who should attend?
Anyone involved in the design, development, management, and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions for their organisation.
What will you learn?
You will learn about:
Benefits
This course will help you:
Access here
4. Modern Slavery, Introduction and Awareness On-demand – BS 25700:2022
Who should attend?
Modern Slavery can affect any organisation, in any sector, in any country, through their supply chains, operations, activities and business relationships. Modern Slavery is also relevant across functions, and at different levels, so awareness and understanding is necessary across an entire organisation. Suggested job roles include:
What will you learn?
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
Benefits:
This course will help you:
Access here
5. Fundamentals of social accountability
Who should attend?
This course is ideal for those who have an awareness of social accountability principles and are seeking to audit, implement, or manage an SA 8000®-aligned management system. The multi-sector applicable standard reflects labour provisions contained within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Labour Organisation conventions.
What will you learn?
At the end of the course, learners will be able to explain the value and benefits of implementing social accountability management practices in your organisation. By implementing social accountability, you will provide an auditable, voluntary statement based on the UN declaration of human rights, the ILO conventions, and other national and international labour norms. You will be able to manage the workforce using an ethical employee-centric framework and describe the benefits and features of decent work. You will understand how to align what you do to the ILO conventions and the UN declaration of human rights to ensure you are aligned to international recognised best practice.
Benefits:
This course will help you:
Access here
6. Sustainable Procurement Awareness On-demand Training Course – ISO 20400
Who should attend?
Sustainable procurement is relevant to any organisation, in any sector, in any country, through their supply chain management activities, operations, and business relationships.
Sustainable procurement is also relevant across functions, and at different levels, so awareness and understanding is necessary across an entire organisation.
Suggested job roles include:
What will you learn?
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
Benefits:
This course will help you and your teams to:
Access here
7. Quantifying the Carbon Footprint of Products (ISO 14067:2018)
Who should attend?
Anyone involved in quantifying the carbon footprint of products for their organisation.
What will you learn?
How your organisation can calculate the carbon footprint of its products.
Benefits:
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
Access here
8. ISO 14068: Carbon Neutrality Courses
1. ISO 14068-1:2023 Carbon Neutrality Requirements Training Course
Who should attend?
Suggested job roles include those responsible for developing, implementing, and managing policies, processes and practices, leading to the achievement of carbon neutrality, such as:
What will you learn?
Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:
Benefits:
The course will help learners:
Access here
2. ISO 14068-1:2023 Climate Change Management – Carbon Neutrality
Who should attend?
Suggested job roles include those responsible for developing, implementing, and managing policies, processes and practices, leading to the achievement of carbon neutrality, such as:
What will you learn?
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
Benefits
The course will help learners:
Access here
Do you have a great idea that could deliver meaningful change in the real world?
Get involved