A leading Sussex surgeon is setting the national agenda to reduce the environmental impact of surgical care for a greener NHS.
Professor Mahmood Bhutta, consultant ENT surgeon at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, led the national committee for a collaborative project which has resulted in the ‘Green Surgery’ report being published.
The report gives a detailed account of how to reduce the environmental impact of surgical care while maintaining high quality patient care and potentially saving the NHS money.
Professor Bhutta is also the Trust’s clinical lead for environmental sustainability.
He said: “We know that staff in the NHS, including surgical teams, are keen to reduce the environmental impact of the care they provide. We hope this report will provide them with a roadmap and tool to support them on that journey. Providing surgical care and protecting the planet, can and should go hand in hand.”
The Trust is dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to reduce waste and keep patients safe. Streamlining processes and only wearing gloves when necessary are just some of the ways the Trust is embedding simple and safe interventions that are going a long way to reducing their carbon footprint and plastic waste going to landfill.
Karen Geoghegan, Executive Lead for Environmental Sustainability, is proud to deliver
‘Patient First, Planet First’, the green initiative launched by UHSussex.
She said “A sustainable future is crucial for people and the planet. Professor Bhutta and all our colleagues are taking significant steps to improve the health of both people and our planet. Together we will deliver a greener NHS in Sussex that cares for our planet and enables us to secure a better, healthier life for generations to come.”