Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust has been heralded as a pioneer for making the NHS greener and more sustainable.
It has developed a programme called Care Without Carbon (CWC), which is leading the way in delivering more-sustainable healthcare.
The trust, which is the main provider of community services to thousands of people across East and West Sussex, was highlighted in the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report on pollution.
The team has helped the organisation to cut its carbon footprint by 24% since 2010 – the equivalent of powering 200 local homes for a whole year.
The trust’s travel bureau has been instrumental in encouraging staff to make greener travel choices for both commuting to work and patient visits. This has helped towards the reduction in its carbon footprint and also helps to tackle local air pollution.
Siobhan Melia, chief executive of the trust, said: “We are proud of the excellent care our teams provide at the heart of our local communities.
“As a trust we are always looking at ways of improving and doing things in a more-sustainable way.
“The Care Without Carbon team has worked really hard to make being green part of the culture at our organisation and it’s great to see them being recognised at a national level.”
CWC has also been awarded a national Certificate of Excellence in Sustainability Reporting from the NHS Sustainability Development Unit.
The award recognises the work done by the NHS to report what it is doing to help protect the environment.
Health Minister, Stephen Barclay, said: “We all have a responsibility to reduce our environmental impact and the NHS, world-leading in many other aspects, is certainly capable of becoming a shining example of sustainability.
“Schemes like the one pioneered in Sussex will pave the way for a truly-green NHS in the years to come, and I look forward to seeing similar projects across the health service.”
