Sustainability

• Sustainability is one of our core values
• We ask staff to reflect on how they have helped sustainability as part of our appraisals
• We ask about sustainability at interviews
• Green Impact is a standing item on agendas for meetings
• We regularly ask our staff to feedback ideas for improvement
• Our weekly staff newsletter promotes Green ideas, events in the community and ways we can all take action
• We work collaboratively with our local community

• We ensure temperatures are regulated in the building - through the use of an air cooling system and thermostats
• Radiators are turned down where possible
• Equipment is turned off at the end of each day
• Lighting sensors detecting movement in the area/room
• Energy - gas and electric - is provided via green energy suppliers
• Use of water heaters for making tea and coffee, instead of kettles

• All lights are fitted with sensors
• Working on a plan to replace all current lights with LED lighting over next 5 years

• We only buy Green Energy
• Several of our team have completed sustainable procurement training
• We ask our suppliers about their environmental policies
• We have reviewed our office supplies and made many switches, which include purchasing sustainable pencils and paper
• We purchase eco friendly washing up liquid and use refill bottles to reduce plastic use

• Commitment to sourcing Fairtrade / local / healthy refreshments when possible
• Avoiding food products that do not use sustainable palm oil
• Purchasing organic milk from local supplier
• Raising awareness with the public about Fairtrade, by supporting Fairtrade Fortnight each March
• Sharing food as a team, with regular 'bring and share' lunch days
• Installation of refill water bottle station for staff and public use
• No longer providing plastic cups at water station encourage users to bring a reusable container.
• Providing tea and coffee for staff which is Fairtrade
• Reducing single use plastic
• Sourcing plastic free tea bags
• Using refill bottles for washing up liquid
• Encouraging staff and patients to use our water refill station

• Ensuring only confidential waste is collected for shredding
• All other paper recycled
• Clearly labelled bins in clinic rooms for domestic / confidential / sharps / clinical waste
• Recycling plastic bottles
• Recycling of other materials, including cardboard, printer toner cartridges and batteries
• Encouraging patients to consider switching inhaler use to more sustainable version and encouraging recycling of inhalers at our onsite Castlegate Dispensary
• See also reducing use of paper below
• See also reducing prescribing below

• Implementing our travel plan, including promoting walking, cycling and car sharing

• Working towards being a paperless Practice where possible
• Ceasing use of fax machines
• Promoting health education messages to patients via patient information screens in waiting areas, to reduce the use of leaflets
• Setting photocopiers to print double sided by default
• Photocopiers are able to scan and email documents, to reduce printing
• Email signatures include the 'think before you print' logo
• Patient communication uses paperless systems where possible
• Registration packs have been reviewed and condensed to reduce paper used or available online
• Online forms being introduced to website and the use of these to increase

• Where possible, the Practice is reducing polypharmacy and over prescribing
• Reducing prescribing of opiates - we are working with patients to review their opiod use and reduce where possible
• Reducing prescribing of over the counter medicines
• Where appropriate, switching prescriptions for inhalers to dry powder inhalers.
• Returning unwanted medicines to our onsite Castlegate Dispensary where we will dispose of medicines safely protecting patients, staff and the environment.

Read more information on green inhalers

Read about recycling used inhalers and unwanted medicines

• Whole Practice commitment to achieving the NUS / RCGP Green Impact Award
• Commitment to support the National Green Impact Agenda to reduce carbon emissions in line with the 2030 United Nations Sustainability Development Goals
• Supporting other Practices and providers to implement the Green Impact Award

• Promoting workplace health and wellbeing for our staff – various local resources available
• Providing resources on our website to help patients support their health and wellbeing. Visit our Self-Help Centre.
• Directing patients to further sources of advice and support via our Social Media, noticeboards, TV screens in the waiting area, newsletters and news articles on our website
• Promoting a series of health and wellbeing campaigns each year, for example on specific topics such as alcohol use or on seasonal health issues such as the flu vaccination, promoting national and local campaigns.

As well as the things we are doing as a Practice to be more sustainable, we are encouraging patients to be more sustainable too. Below are some ideas of small, often health related, changes you can make which can help the environment, and which can also often save you money too.

If you have other ideas about what we can do as a Practice to be more sustainable please let us know. Likewise if you’ve thoughts on what patients can do more or less of to help the environment we would love to hear from you. Contact us to share your thoughts.

Sustainability is also a standing agenda item on Patient Participation Group meetings.

You can reduce your use of single use plastic by using a refillable water bottle. If you are ever at the Practice and need a refill you can and fill it from our water refill station, near our main front doors.

You might also want to think about other ways to reduce your use of plastic – some websites to visit include Friends of the Earth and WWF.

One of the biggest environmental impacts you can have as an individual is to reduce the amount of meat and diary you eat. If you want to try this, even on just one or two days of the week, there is lots of support available to you. Take a look at Veganuary and Meat Free Monday for ideas if you're interested in this or try something like Dairy Free Tuesdays. There are lots of recipes online to inspire you if you want to make small changes to what you eat.

Where possible, buy Fair Trade products because, as well as ensuring decent working conditions, terms of trade and prices for producers, it also ensures local sustainability where products are grown/ produced.

Did you know you can recycle your inhaler? Our onsite Castlegate Dispensary can help with this. They will dispose of your unwanted or used inhalers through our recycling scheme, the greenhouses gases that remain inside will be destroyed, ensuring they do not do harm to the environment.

If you have asthma our Nurses will advise you if you are suited to a dry powder inhaler when you have your annual review. Dry powder inhalers are much better for the environment and are often the best choice for our health. More information about Dry Powder Inhalers, the impact of Metered Dose Inhalers and why we should switch away from using these is available from our Dispensary or nurses.

Some patients need to continue using Metered Dose Inhalers. Where this is the case we are encouraging patients to ensure they've used every dose from that inhaler before returning it to the Dispensary for recycling.

As a Practice we are looking at how we can reduce prescribing in order to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce waste. Please talk to your health care professional if you have concerns about this.

Walk or cycle to the Practice for your appointments where possible – we have plenty of cycle racks here that you are welcome to use.

Use public transport where possible – to get to your appointments at the practice or elsewhere.

We promote health education messages to patients via the patient information screens in waiting areas, to reduce the use of paper leaflets - please keep your eye out for key messages we share on the screens. We are also looking at creating QR codes for all of our leaflets, so you can scan and read to help our paper usage.

Patients can also find a great deal of information on our website – whether they want to know about how to register, making appointments online and about our different clinics or services. Patients can also find out about ways to improve their health and wellbeing on our website too.

We are also starting to encourage patients to use online forms, rather than paper based forms, and these are gradually being introduced to the website

Where possible, the Practice is reducing polypharmacy and over prescribing. We will only reduce medications in the best interest of the patient and may also be able to promote other ways you can help manage your condition, for example through diet, exercise and support groups. Using other forms of support can help reduce the need for, or the amount of, medication prescribed - which is good for you and good for the planet.

We support patients to improve their health and wellbeing, for example through working closely with many local groups. See our support services page for details

We encourage patients and staff to take part in local Parkruns. This is a chance to get fitter, enjoy the outdoors and meet new people. If you don't want to run (or walk) the route then you can always join in by volunteering.

We encourage patients to use resources available on our website to help them support their health and wellbeing

We promote a series of health and wellbeing campaigns each year, for example on specific topics such as alcohol use or on seasonal health issues such as the flu vaccination. Alongside local and national campaigns and support groups.