Helping health and care go green Phil Shelton, Head of Industry Partnerships and Net Zero Lead outlines how we are helping embed net zero into the NHS through the adoption of innovation. Climate change is inextricably linked to our health polluted air and rising temperatures are linked to health effects ranging from increased heart attacks and strokes to the spread of infectious diseases (1). As the climate warms, we are also experiencing more instances of extreme weather heatwaves, flooding, wildfire and drought all of which threaten our physical and mental health. To play our part in reducing the direct and immediate consequences of climate change on patients, the public and the NHS, we are committed to helping the NHS to achieve its goal of becoming the worlds first net zero national health system. The risks posed by climate change could dwarf those of any single disease every action taken to limit emissions and warming brings us closer to a healthier, safer future 2021 World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Introducing green innovations throughout health and care We designed the pilot and evaluated the effectiveness of Apollo Smart Panels which enables precise temperature control refrigeration. Developed by Phase Change Solutions, the panels are made using plant-based materials and when fitted inside a refrigerator, they reduce energy consumption and regulate temperature for longer. The panels were tested for the first time in a real-world NHS setting in three GP surgeries within WGGL Primary Care Network (PCN) to assess whether they reduced cold chain breaches. The fridges equipped with the Apollo Smart Panels effectively maintained a temperature range of 2C to 8C the required temperature for vaccination storage - for up to 8 hours 42 minutes during the simulated power outages. This was significantly longer than 1 hour 5 minutes of the control fridge (without the Apollo Smart Panels). The results show that widespread adoption of Apollo Smart Panels across primary care settings could offer surgeries and health centres significantly more time to safeguard their vaccines in scenarios involving extended power outages. Read the full story We supported pilots of Airglove in the East of England to improve cannulation. Airglove, created by Green Cross Medico, is an air warming system developed to enable easier cannulation of veins in the arm. Airglove helps to avoid repeated cannulations and has the potential to reduce consumable waste, with predicted savings to be 31.1 million over three years in oncology alone due to higher success rates for cannulations. To further reduce the environmental impact, a biodegradable glove has been developed for Airglove and a second version of the device with a repairable unit will also be launched this year. Read the full story Future proofing your innovation for the NHS Bridging the Gap: Net Zero From April 2024, the NHS requires all new suppliers to publish Over 200 people joined our Bridging the Gap: Net Zero: Procurement, a Carbon Reduction Plan or Net Zero Commitment. Supply Chain, and Estates event in November. Speakers from iSumio Ltd, We have established a partnership with sustainability Greener NHS team, Revolution-ZERO and Value Match provided invaluable experts Eco Sourcing Hub to support innovators in meeting insights into both current and future policies relating to net zero in the NHS. their carbon goals through a range of services including: The event was delivered in partnership with Health Innovation North East carbon calculation in compliance with ISO 14064-1 and the and North Cumbria, Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley, Health Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, and the creation of a carbon Innovation Kent Surrey and Sussex, UCL Partners, Health Innovation reduction plan. By implementing effective strategies to reduce Yorkshire and Humber, Cambridge Cleantech and Anglia Ruskin University. their carbon footprint we can help organisations to mitigate the impact of climate change and meet the mandate set by the NHS to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Resources for a greener future We provide a series of free toolkits to support innovators to overcome barriers in making their idea a reality. This year our net zero toolkit was updated to help innovators navigate the NHS and the net zero landscape. Access the net zero toolkit This was a really well architected and delivered event much credit to Health Innovation East. Everyone I engaged with stated how much value they were getting out of the day. The day was a great example of exactly the sort of positive action-led interactions we need to facilitate the change/shift required to Bridge the Gap to sustainable healthcare systems. Tom Dawson, founder, Revolution-ZERO Share this article If you want to discuss how innovation can support sustainability in health and care, contact philip.shelton@healthinnovationeast.co.uk Return to About Us References 1 Amy McKeever. (2021). Why climate change is still the greatest threat to human health. [Online]. National Geographic. Last Updated: 09 September 2021. Available at: www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/why-climate-change-is-still-the-greatest-threat-to-human-health [Accessed 22 April 2024].