Helping to protect the environment
As a Trust, we are committed to tackling climate change and playing our part in protecting the environment. That's why we are aiming to reduce our carbon footprint by at least 10% by the year 2015.
As a busy organisation that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we know that we have to be careful about how much energy we use and to take care to make sure our carbon footprint is as small as it can be. So, to make sure we're saving energy wherever we can, we have launched a number of new initiatives to significantly reduce our carbon emissions.
And of course, saving energy isn't just good news for the environment but it's good news for our finances too. Every penny that we save in reducing our energy bills will be put straight back in to improving patient care.
On this page, you can keep up with all of our latest projects and achievements in our fight against climate change.
How we started
One of our first major steps in the fight against climate change was launching a special 'taskforce' to look at all areas where we could save energy.
The group (officially called the sustainable development committee) was split into five working groups who all looked at different areas of our organisation.
The groups looked at, among other areas, how we can improve our travel plans, how we can order and supply food more efficiently and how we can reduce the amount of water and energy we use.
Energy
Although it's early days in our plans to reduce our carbon footprint, the Trust already has a number of energy saving initiatives in place, including upgrading our boiler controls to improve energy efficiency, replacing light fittings using new high-efficiency lighting and providing special recycling zones for glass, cans and plastic bottles.
In all of the refurbishments and development work we're doing this year, we will ensure that we're doing the best we can to be energy efficient.
IS (Information services)
In addition, the Trust's information services team has installed new technology which turns all of the Trust's 2,220 computers to hibernate when they are not in use. This is having a marked impact on the Trust's energy use, and will save the Trust approximately £45,000 per year - money which can be put directly back into improving patient care.
Cycling
We have a number of initiatives in place to encourage and help our staff members to get out of the car and onto the bicycle saddle.
The Trust is a member of the Cycle to Work scheme - an initiative that allows staff to buy a bike tax-free and spread the cost over 12 months.
We also run regular training sessions for those who haven't cycled for a long time, allowing people to build their confidence and teach them how to keep safe.
As an NHS organisation, we also want to promote the benefits of physical activity as a way to improve health. Cycling to work is an excellent way to get your heart going and improve or maintain fitness levels.
EcoDriver
Earlier this year, we also recently unveiled ecoDriver, a system which monitors energy usage, how much money the Trust is spending on energy bills and how much waste we're producing. This information is then shown on television screens across the Trust for staff and patients to see.
Read more about ecoDriver
What do our staff think?
Protecting the environment is important to us. So important in fact, that it's one of our Trust values. (Our values are a set of beliefs that matter to staff and volunteers from across the Trust.)
Dr James Marsh, renal consultant and the clinical director for renal services, said: "Everyone knows about climate change and how important it is to protect the planet, and that's one belief that we should definitely bring to work with us.
"I think this can be summed up in a few lines - if it's not required, turn it off. If it can be recycled, don't throw it away. If you can walk, don't drive. We've got to protect the planet today for the sake of tomorrow's generations."
