NHS Green Bees: Bringing environmental action into clinical practice
Tamsyn Cowden, Community Staff Nurse
Powys Teaching Health Board
The need for NHS Green Bees
The project came from the need for the NHS to reduce its carbon emissions as presently it produces 5.4% of the UKs total emissions (equivalent to 11 coal fired power stations).
The urgency is recognised nationally and globally:
- “Climate change is the defining health challenge of our time” Margaret Chan, World Health Organization
- NHS Wales: “Swift action over the next five years is critical to ensuring the targets within this (decarbonisation) strategy are adhered to and low carbon must be at the core of decision making. We need it to be embedded into everyday processes, so much so that they become integral to the decisions NHS Wales makes.” (Vaughan Gething)
- Royal College of Nursing “The RCN is clear that initiatives that protect our planet and mitigate climate change are also good for our wider population’s health and therefore investment in action now will bring multiple benefits and value in future years to our personal lives and health care provision in the future”.
Project Aims
NHS Green Bees aimed to cut waste and CO2 emissions, save money and improve the natural environment.
The Project
NHS Green Bees drew on behavioural psychology as presented in the UN “Little book of Green Nudges” (designed as a guide for universities to reduce their environmental impact through behaviour change).
It consisted of a pilot across eight teams in Mid-Powys including midwives, district nurses, dentists and specialist nurses. Each team member was asked to make one new sustainable change from a selection of nine, presented on a honeycomb poster. Details were given in an “Action pack” and explanatory video.
An Action Pack was developed to explain each action further
Challenges
Time was an issue for several teams because of the Pandemic, staff shortages and challenging caseloads.
There were varying levels of motivation. The project did not address this issue but, in addition to time, it could have been staff not seeing the need for change as the crisis is seen as distant in place and time. They are also prioritising the immediate and important issue of caring for sick patients and juggling busy home lives.
Because of these factors, I had to chase up some teams to start the project (two didn’t start) and to complete their questionnaires.
Key Outcomes
The following certificate has been given to each team to show the combined results of the project. (Based on extrapolating results over one year.) All participating teams made improvements.
Next Steps
Through the Bevan programme I learned the importance of engaging with others who have similar enthusiasm and also those in positions of influence. This means that the next phase of NHS Green Bees is different.
We have set up a staff NHS Green Bees group, working closely with the Sustainability team.
We have organised Carbon Literacy Training for the executive team, backed by our Chief Executive.
We will continue working with other staff, linked through the Bevan Commission, to promote an NHS Wales Green Network.
My Exemplar Experience
The Bevan Exemplar programme has given me support, encouragement and direction to find a way I can help to make a healthy world for future generations.
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