Reaching net zero is a goal that many organisations are striving towards right now, and this is especially true in the healthcare space. The NHS has committed to reach net zero on the emissions they control directly (the NHS Carbon Footprint) by 2040, with the ambition to reach an 80% reduction by 2028 to 2032, and for the emissions they can influence they aim to reach net zero by 2045.
So, what steps can the NHS take to reach their goal of net zero? Cutting down on paper and plastic waste and reducing the number of patients having to travel to and from appointments can go a long way on a journey to net zero, and implementing the right technology can help to achieve this.
Reduce paper.
A huge way in which technology can help healthcare organisations to reach their goal of net zero is by drastically reducing the amount of paper used day to day. Hundreds of millions of printed documents are still being posted by the NHS every year, often containing multiple pieces of paper (plus the envelope they are sent in).
Our Clinical Document Transfer solution, known as Docman Connect, transfers documents electronically, eliminating the need to send paper documents. For example, last year over 57 million documents were transferred digitally via our Clinical Document Transfer solution. Docman GP allows for the storing and sharing of clinical documents electronically, cutting out the need for physical files to be stored, saving on paper waste and space. Other solutions like Governance and Risk Management allows any organisation to take their admin work like meeting notes and risk management assessments off paper and into the cloud.
By eliminating the need to send and store physical documents the NHS could reduce its paper wastage by hundreds of millions of pieces of paper a year, as well as saving costs and improving efficiency.
Reduce plastic.
Plastic is a big problem when it comes to waste and carbon emission, taking years to break down naturally. Right now, hundreds of thousands of NHS staff members are using physical smart cards to gain access to the NHS spine. These cards are subject to get damaged and thrown away regularly, resulting in a huge amount of unnecessary waste.
By switching to Advanced Virtual Smartcard, the NHS can negate the need for physical smartcards altogether, providing a way for their staff members to safely and efficiently access the NHS Spine without the need for a card or physical hardware.
Reduce travel.
Reducing the need for patients to travel to and from GP surgeries can reduce the emissions the NHS has influence over considerably. Traditionally it has been expected that when a patient needs to see a clinical staff member at their GP Practice, they will book an appointment and attend in person. This means traveling to and from the practice, for many this will mean driving there.
By allowing patients to go virtual with their GP appointments, the NHS can reduce the amount of people traveling by car to see a GP, allowing the appointments to be carried out over the phone or online instead, saving time and reducing carbon emissions.
OneAdvanced Health has been providing support to NHS and independent healthcare organisations for more than 20 years. Our innovative software plays a crucial role in realising sustainability objectives. Check out our Health sector page to find out how you we can support your Healthcare organisation to get to your goal of net zero quicker: https://www.oneadvanced.com/software-by-sector/healthcare/
