The efforts of NHS trusts to reduce their carbon footprint and improve the efficiency of services have come under the spotlight with the announcement of the winners of the 2017 NHS Sustainability Awards.
The awards celebrate healthcare efficiency and sustainable development at a time when there are many challenges arising from financial cut backs.
They are organised as part of the NHS Sustainability Day campaign and national day of action held each year.
And the winners were announced at a ceremony in London last week.
Central Manchester University Hospitals was named overall winner, also picking up the Carbon Award and the Waste Management Award .
Other successful entrants including West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, which scooped the Digital Award, and Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, which picked up the Award for Food following extensive work to improve menus via sustainably and locally-sourced produce.
This year also marked the introduction of a new category, the Award for Reuse, which was won by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for efforts to save more than £84,000.
Announcing the winners, NHS Sustainability Day campaign manager, Scott Buckler, said: “Once again we have seen significant savings for the NHS derived through sustainable development.
“Tonight’s winners and runners-up have demonstrated, better than any Government report or policy, how to deliver an efficient NHS fit for the future.”
He added: “Following the recent Naylor Review, which cited how the NHS can make the best use of its estate to support NHS England’s Five Year Forward View, what better way to demonstrate best-practice than to showcase the hard work conducted by estate teams across England.”
The winners
Overall Winner (Sponsored by Carillion): Winner - Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Carbon Award (Sponsored by Sust-N): Winner - Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Commended – Public Health Wales
Public Health Award (Sponsored by Sponsored by 4 All of Us): Winner - Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Commended – West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group
Travel and Transport Award (Sponsored by Sustrans): Winner - The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust; Commended - Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
ReUse Award (Sponsored by Warp-IT): Winner - University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Commended – Public Health Wales
Waste Management Award (Sponsored by Bywaters): Winner - Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Commended – North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Digital Award (Sponsored by 4 All of Us): Winner- West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group; Commended - The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Food Award (Sponsored by Quorn): Winner - Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Commended - Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Finance Award (Sponsored by Salix): Winner- North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust; Commended Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Nottingham Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Energy Award (Sponsored by Skanska): North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust; Commended - Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Leadership Award (Sponsored by 4 All of Us): Winner - Public Health Wales; Commended – The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Water Award (Sponsored by ADSM): Winner - Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; Commended – Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Procurement Award (Sponsored by 4 All of Us): Winner - Public Health Wales; Commended – Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Innovation Award (Sponsored by Bouygues): Winner - Aneurin Bevan University Health Board; Commended – Nottingham Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Workforce Development Award (Sponsored by 4 All of Us): Winner- Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Commended - Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust