Members event - Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Our next members’ event will focus on our Shine programme, seeking to reduce the environmental impact of our services.

Caring for our environment is becoming ever more important, as we learn more about the impact of humans and also how we depend on natural processes and services for our health and wellbeing. It is estimated that 4-5% of the UK’s carbon footprint comes from the NHS.

We have a statutory duty to consider the environmental impact of any decision taken in the organisation, and the NHS more broadly has a legally binding net zero target. In addition, our main regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) includes sustainability in its well-led framework for which we are inspected against.

Besides the legal and regulatory framework, we have a moral obligation to try to mitigate our impact. We also need to think about how we look after our patients as the climate changes, and we see the effects on our communities of air pollution, heat waves, storms and flooding.

This event will bring together our Members and Governors with the programme team, to look at our successes so far in sustainability, waste and energy and what more needs to be done so we can achieve the vision and goals set out in our Climate Emergency Strategy. We will include brief presentations, leaving plenty of time for group work and discussion so that everyone in attendance can get involved and share their ideas.

Members are invited to discuss their opinions on our Shine programme, and to share their thoughts on how we can ensure we are caring for people and planet, recognising the two are interlinked. We will provide the space to reflect on the experiences Members have had, feedback on how to be involved in influencing and shaping the Shine programme and how best to include the voice and lived experience of Members, patients and families in the North East.

Members’ event programme

1.30pm	Refreshments – Tea, coffee and water*
1.45pm	Welcome and opening remarks by Sir Paul Ennals, Chair, Newcastle Hospitals
1.50pm	Introduction Catherine Heslop, Chair of the Governor People, Engagement and Membership (PEM) Working Group and James Dixon, Associate Director – Environmental Sustainability
1.55pm	Why the NHS needs to take action to address the Climate Emergency Karen Taylor, Assistant Sustainability Manager, will talk about the impact the NHS has on climate change, how climate change affects our patients, and how Newcastle Hospitals seeks to address this through our Climate Emergency Strategy. Case Study: Rhiannon Studholme, Eco Mentor from Northumberland Wildlife Trust will share her work on the eco-influencers project, supporting patients at the Great North Children’s Hospital on engagement with nature to aid wellbeing and nature connection.
2.15pm	Group discussion Table groups will consider how you think we can best engage with our patients, staff and communities as we come to refresh our Climate Emergency Strategy.
2.30pm	Brief feedback from the group discussion
2.40pm	The future of waste and resource management in Newcastle Hospitals Jason Mitchell, Waste Manager, will talk about our Zero Waste goal and how we are seeking to implement the waste hierarchy, moving away from disposal to reuse and prevention of waste. We aim to embed a circular economy at Newcastle Hospitals, a system where products and materials are kept in use for as long as possible, minimising waste and maximising resource efficiency.
2.55pm	Group discussion Table groups will consider and discuss how will Newcastle Hospitals prioritise prevention of waste and reuse of resources?
3.10pm	Brief feedback from the group discussion
3.20pm	How do we move away from burning fossil fuels? David Coxon, our Energy Manager, will talk about how our hospitals are currently powered, and our strategy to try to decarbonise our hospital sites. He will share case studies from our work installing solar panels and heat pumps at Regent Point, details of the public decarbonisation scheme funding we have been awarded and a look into the future of green energy at Newcastle Hospitals.
3.35pm	Group discussion What might the hospitals energy usage look like in 2040 and how can we transition to greener and cleaner energy?
3.50pm	Brief feedback from the group discussion
3.55pm	Summary and closing reflections James Dixon, Associate Director – Environmental Sustainability

*Please note that unfortunately we are unable to provide food at the Members’ Events.

If you would like to attend the event, please call us on freephone 0800 015 0136 or email your name, address and telephone number to: [email protected].