Government programme to reduce theatre waste launched at UCLH

Sustainability in healthcare was top of the agenda on Tuesday when the Department of Health and Social Care selected UCLH as the site to launch a new programme to reduce the reliance on single-use items in the UK health system.

Baroness Merron, parliamentary under-secretary of state for patient safety, women's health and mental health, accompanied by selected guests, was invited to see the array of reusable and recyclable items already in use in our theatres.

Re-creating a mock theatre in the UCLH education centre, consultant anaesthetist Damon Kamming and sustainability project manager Joe Burton talked the guests through the progress made by UCLH so far with switching to reusables. The team then demonstrated the vast range of single-use products still in use on a daily basis, highlighting the scale of change still required. 

The minister then spoke with representatives from across UCLH with an active interest in sustainability, including nurses, consultants, procurement and infection prevention and control who shared her passion for making UK hospitals a much greener environment.

Minister Merron followed up with hosting an event to launch the Department of Health and Social Care’s Design for Life programme, which aims embed a more circular approach to medical products, including reuse, remanufacture and recycling of existing products.

Health Minister, Baroness Gillian Merron said: “We are delighted to work with UCLH to launch this important programme. UCLH is an exemplar of sustainable healthcare, and we are looking at how we can replicate the gold standard delivered here across the rest of the country.”