Green Practice

Our pledge

We at Broom Leys Surgery are concerned about and recognise the importance and urgency of addressing climate change, and the serious risks that climate change poses for present and future generations.

We agree to take the following actions:

• We will tell the truth and acknowledge the climate crisis is a health crisis and an emergency.
• We are stronger together and will work with others; our staff, patients, healthcare colleagues and local communities, to create new solutions.
• We know that the climate crisis is also a health crisis, and we pledge to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint) caused by our practice and aim for a Net Zero NHS

You can read more here www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/

• To achieve the target of Net Zero, we plan to measure our carbon footprint, identify the hotspots and put plans into action to reduce each of these.
• We will pay attention to the climate footprint of our travel (both staff and patients), energy use, the services we use, and the products we buy and use. We will make low-carbon choices wherever possible. We will treat all the resources we use as valuable and not be wasteful.
• We will provide leadership through our actions and share our experiences in making cleaner choices with our staff, patients and colleagues and encourage them to sign their pledge too

We have achieved a lot already – working towards the RCGP/NUS Green Impact awards. We have reached the bronze award but there’s still lots we can do to reduce our carbon right down and make good choices.

We aim to:

• Improve our energy efficiency further
• Recycle everything we can and encourage patients to do the same
• Encourage both staff and patients to consider their travel choices
• Thinking about what we buy so we treat the planet and farmers more kindly
• Making sure we don’t waste anything, such as paper. Using electronic methods wherever possible.
• Making sure people only take the medication they need to feel better
• Helping our staff feel well
• Talk to patients about moving more to feel good.

Broom Leys Surgery is committed to minimising the environmental impacts of our operational activities. We will conduct all aspects of our business with due regard to the sustainability, the environment and its habitats. We will actively investigate new opportunities to take advantage of environmentally friendly initiatives and developments.

What are we doing to be more sustainable?

Our key areas of focus for sustainability are:

• Embedding Green Impact into our organisational culture
• Improving our energy efficiency
• Implementing our lighting responsibility plan
• Green procurement – ensure that we take into account the Governments Energy Technology lists and whole life product running costs
• Sourcing food and drink responsibly and avoiding use of plastic where possible
• Reducing waste and increasing recycling
• Promoting sustainable transport
• Purchasing sustainably
• Reducing our use of paper
• Reducing prescribing
• Implementing the NUS/RCGP Green Impact Toolkit
• Supporting health and wellbeing

Embedding Green Impact into our organisational culture

• Sustainability is one of our core values
• Green Impact is a standing item on agendas for meetings
• We regularly ask our staff to feedback ideas for improvement
• We work collaboratively with our local community

Improving our energy efficiency

• Storage heaters are turned down where possible
• Equipment is turned off at the end of each day
• Lighting is turned off when not required

Implementing our lighting responsibility plan

• Staff take responsibility for switching lights off when not needed or when leaving a room at the end of a session / day
• Clear labelling on light switches to make it easier to turn areas of lighting off
• Staff responsible for closing building at the end of the day undertake a building sweep to ensure all area lighting is turned off
• Working on a plan to replace all current lights with LED lighting over next 5 years

Procurement

• Several of our team have completed sustainable procurement training
• We ask our suppliers about their environmental policies
• We have reviewed our office supplies and made many swtiches, which include purchasing sustainable pencils and paper
• In the process of changing to eco friendly washing up liquid and use refill bottles to reduce plastic use
• We work with our suppliers to continually improve the sustainability of our supply chains

Sourcing food and drink responsibly

• Commitment to raising awareness of sourcing Fairtrade / local / healthy refreshments when possible
• Raising awareness with our staff and the public about Faitrade, by supporting Fairtrade Fortnight
• Offering plant based oat milk alternatives at events
• Providing tea and coffee for staff which is Fairtrade
• Reducing single use plastic
• Sourcing plastic free tea bags
• Encouraging staff and patients to use our water refill station

Reducing waste and increasing recycling

• Ensuring only confidential waste is collected for shredding
• All other paper recycled
• Clearly labelled bins in clinic rooms for domestic / confidential / sharps / clinical waste
• Recycling plastic bottles
• Recycling of other materials, including cardboard, printer toner cartridges and batteries
• Encouraging patients to consider switching inhaler use to more sustainable version and encouraging recycling of inhalers
• See also reducing use of paper below
• See also reducing prescribing below

Promoting sustainable transport

• Implementing our travel plan, including promoting walking, cycling and car sharing

Reducing our use of paper

• Working towards being a paperless Practice where possible
• Ceasing use of fax machines
• Promoting health education messages to patients via patient information screens in waiting areas, to reduce the use of leaflets
• Setting photocopiers to print double sided by default
• Photocopiers are able to scan and email documents, to reduce printing
• System in place to collect non-confidential documents printed only on one side so this paper can be used as note pads
• System in place to collect and reuse envelopes
• Email signatures include the ‘think before you print’ logo
• Patient communication uses paperless systems where possible
• Registration packs have been reviewed and condensed to reduce paper used
• Online forms being introduced to website and the use of these to increase

Reducing prescribing

• Where possible, the Practice is reducing polypharmacy and over prescribing
• Reducing prescribing of opiates – we are working with patients to review their opiod use and reduce where possible
• Reducing prescribing of over-the-counter medicines
• Where appropriate, switching prescriptions for inhalers to dry powder inhalers

Implementing the NUS/RCGP Green Impact Toolkit

• Whole Practice commitment to achieving the NUS / RCGP Green Impact Award
• Commitment to support the National Green Impact Agenda to reduce carbon emissions in line with the 2030 United Nations Sustainability Development Goals
• Supporting other Practices and providers to implement the Green Impact Award
• Sharing best practice and ideas, for example through the Green Impact for Health Conference in 2020

Supporting Health and Wellbeing

• Promoting workplace health and wellbeing
• Working closely with Active Together to help patients improve their health and wellbeing
• Providing resources on our website to help patients support their health and wellbeing
• Directing patients to further sources of advice and support via our Sign Posting pages on the website
• Promoting a series of health and wellbeing campaigns each year, for example on specific topics such as alcohol use or on seasonal health issues such as the flu vaccination

As well as the things we are doing as a Practice to be more sustainable, we are encouraging patients to be more sustainable too. Below are some ideas of small, often health related, changes you can make which can help the environment.

Reducing waste and increasing recycling

• Did you know you can recycle your inhaler? Several pharmacies  will take used inhalers from you for recycling.
• You can also recycle Novo Nordisk pens for diabetes weight management, for more information visit PenCycle.
• If you have asthma the Practice Nurse will advise you if you are suited to a dry powder inhaler. Dry powder inhalers are much better for the environment and are often the  best choice for our health.
• Some patients need to continue using Metered Dose Inhalers. Where this is the case we are encouraging patients to ensure they’ve used every dose from that inhaler before returning it to the pharmacy for recycling.
• As a Practice we are looking at how we can reduce prescribing in order to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce waste. Please talk to your health care professional if you have concerns about this.

Reducing the use of paper

• Patients can find a great deal of information on our website – whether they want to know about how to register, making appointments online and about our different clinics or services. Patients can also find out about ways to improve their health and wellbeing on our website too.
• We are also starting to encourage patients to use online forms, rather than paper based forms, and these are gradually being introduced to the website

Reducing prescribing

• Where possible, the Practice is reducing polypharmacy and over prescribing. We will only reduce medications in the best interest of the patient and may also be able to promote other ways you can help manage your condition, for example through diet, exercise and support groups. Using other forms of support can help reduce the need for, or the amount of, medication prescribed – which is good for you and good for the planet.

Supporting health and wellbeing

• We support patients to improve their health and wellbeing, for example through working closely with North West Leicestershire Health and Wellbeing Team.
• We are an Active Together Practice.
• Patients can join one of the many local Health Walks that take place in our area, including the Broom Leys Surgery Active Together Walking Group that starts and ends at the Practice and is organised by our PPG.
• We promote a series of health and wellbeing campaigns each year, for example on specific topics such as alcohol use or on seasonal health issues such as the flu vaccination.