Our clinical strategy 2025-2035
Climate action at Frimley Health
At Frimley Health, we are committed to meeting our net zero targets which is part of our strategic objective - Modern infrastructure. We have produced a refreshed Green Plan that outlines our actions over the next three years to reduce our impact on the environment.
We aim to embed sustainability across everything we do across the organisation, with a strong and ambitious plan, applying resources to deliver the plan and effectively track our progress.
We know that climate change impacts population health and the ability of the NHS to deliver its services, through, for example, operational disruption from flooding and heatwaves.
We have a critical role to play to reduce our impact on the environment whilst ensuring we realise the co-benefits such as improving air quality, increasing efficiency through digitised care pathways or providing care closer to home.
The aim of this Green Plan is to reduce our carbon emissions and our impact on the environment, but also to (i) empower staff through effective education and a vibrant network of green champions, (ii) save money, (iii) improve health and wellbeing for our staff, patients and our community, (iv) reduce waste and single-used plastics and (v) ensure our healthcare settings and operations are resilient to the threat of climate change.
Our commitment is to:
- Incrementally phase out fossil fuel, decreasing gas usage across our NHS estates, and move towards renewable energy, whilst unlocking financial savings through our energy transition.
- Improve population health and care through reducing air pollution and focusing on delivering equitable and efficient care.
- Reduce our resource use, including single-used plastics and water.
- Leverage our clinical transformation, supported by the adoption of digital systems and the implementation of sustainable interventions and infrastructure.
- Transition to zero-emission vehicles for our fleet and transportation infrastructure services.
- Invest in our staff to support health and wellbeing initiatives, promoting active travel and infrastructure and increasing our green spaces. We will grow the green champions network and maximise our workforce’s understanding of climate change and health threats
- Finally, our patients are at the heart of what we do, and we will ensure we bring patients and their families along on our journey to demonstrate the value of our environmental work.
Our Green Plan is built on three key pillars with key priority areas to deliver against our net zero targets. These are:
PILLAR 1: Patient-centred sustainable models of care
PILLAR 2: Transitioning our organisation to a sustainable organisation
PILLAR 3: infrastructure featuring sustainable and resilient estates and facilities
Our Green Plan 2025-2028 and priorities
Our Green Plan was developed through engagement with colleagues across the trust and embeds the four strategic pillars of the trust strategy. It sets out a framework for how we will reduce our impact on the environment, capitalising on estate decarbonisation and sustainable models of care. This plan outlines a three-year sustainability strategy aligned with national guidance, priorities and local needs. It embeds sustainability across the trust and, through Frimley Excellence, empowering staff, patients and visitors to cut carbon emissions and make significant progress in our fight against climate change.
There are 14 key areas for actions in our Green Plan to ensure the trust becomes more sustainable and reduce its carbon emissions and impact on the environment.
Patient-centred sustainable models of care
To deliver safe and efficient care that is patient centred and reduces our impact on the environment, thus delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
Our aim is to ensure that we support the decarbonisation of our supply chain and engage with our suppliers on our journey. There are great opportunities to review the products and equipment we use to deliver care by adopting a more sustainable approach and principles.
Our objectives include:
- Ensure procurement tenders demonstrate full compliance with the supplier roadmap, with a consistent advice and assurance function for the inclusion of the social value requirements
- Agree contract management key performance indicators for social value
- Implementation of ‘reducing’ approach first, then reuse and recycle principles. We will increase the uptake of reusable surgical and medical textiles, and of reusable medical devices and equipment
- Decrease the use of gloves when clinically safe
- Increase visibility of the carbon, waste and cost savings of products and equipment to guide decision-making
We will transition to more sustainable, safe and efficient models of care, patient-centred, promoting digital pathways where effective and appropriate.
Our objectives include:
- Clinical sustainability lead, visibly supporting the Green Plan
- Implement the GIRFT (Getting It Right First Time) greener pathway guidances
- Develop a greener therapy pathway
- Obtain accreditation for the Green Emergency Department programme
- Deliver sustainable quality improvement projects with significant carbon and financial savings
- Develop an agreed approach for tracking sustainability-related projects to evaluate their financial and environmental impacts
Ensuring our digital transformation is patient-centred, implemented and consistently adopted is central to our sustainability journey.
Our objectives include:
- Demonstrate emissions saved through paper reduction
- Measure the carbon savings associated with digital virtual pathways
- Explore low-carbon IT approaches and better use of intelligent software systems
- Engage with artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovators / suppliers to realise carbon benefits.
Medicines account for a large proportion of the NHS carbon footprint, and we have many opportunities to reduce their impact.
Our objectives include:
- Decommission of pure nitrous oxide medical gas pipeline
- Reduce medicines waste wherever possible, through optimised prescribing practices and stock management
- Optimise lower carbon respiratory care with reduced metered dose inhaler (MDI) prescription and use
- Increase switch from IV fluids to oral medicines
Research and innovation will support our net zero journey.
Our objectives include:
- Undertake research and innovation projects that support safe, efficient and sustainable healthcare and change of practice
- Introduce a ‘Green Ward and Green Pathway’ competition to support sustainability projects
Modern infrastructure featuring sustainable and resilient estates and facilities
To ensure we optimise our energy demand and consumption and have facilities that are fit for purpose and comfortable for staff and patients.
A clear and robust governance approach is key to delivering the Green Plan. We have established a reporting structure, with bi-annual reporting to the trust Board.
In addition, we commit to deliver Board-level training to ensure that sustainability is a core consideration within decision making. We will use Frimley Excellence to ensure sustainability is built as a core foundation of the trust's operations and integrate sustainability into business cases.
We want to ensure we bring along staff, patients, visitors and our community on our journey to net zero.
Our objectives include:
- Develop a vibrant and dynamic network of Green Champions supporting the delivery of this Green Plan and championing local initiatives
- Explore how to embed sustainability in training modules, induction, recruitment and annual review, with the aim to increase staff awareness and confidence in relation to climate change and Frimley Health’s opportunities to reduce our impact
- Plan a clear communication approach
We are committed to supporting wellbeing and increase biodiversity on our sites.
We will aim to:
- Organise annual event to support the improvement of our green spaces and seek feedback on our spaces.
- Establish local policies to prevent the use of pesticides
Transitioning our organisation to a sustainable organisation
To meet our legal obligations and ensure sustainability is embedded in everything we do as a healthcare organisation, bringing our staff and our community along on our journey and empowering them to support and deliver actions against climate change, driving improvements across our hospitals and beyond.
Our objectives Include:
- Build a new Frimley Park Hospital using sustainable designs and the latest technology to make sure our facilities are ready for the future
- Ensure our new sites and development have low carbon emissions and are sustainable for the future
- Model core carbon emissions and embed sustainability principles in the development of the new hospital
We are committed to having healthy and sustainable facilities and improved comfort for our staff, patients and visitors.
Our objectives include:
- Develop an Energy and Heat Decarbonisation Plan.
- Deliver sustainability projects for energy efficiency and renewable energy at our hospitals.
- Include sustainability impact assessments in all new capital projects.
We know that effective waste management is critical in healthcare and can reduce our impact on the environment significantly.
Our objectives include:
- Demonstrate waste reduction, maintaining appropriate waste segregation
- Implement a sharp waste scheme
- Increase our on-site recycling initiatives, such as inhalers, walking aids, medicines packaging, etc
Food underpins good health, and we want to promote good food as well as reduce its carbon footprint.
Our objectives include:
- Review the carbon footprint of our menus to reduce their environmental impact, including a measured reduction in beef consumption
- Reduce food waste
- Explore a local and/or sustainable food supply chain
- Implement a digital-ordering food menu
The NHS fleet is the second largest in the country, consisting of over 20,000 vehicles. It directly contributes to harmful air pollution. We aim to reduce fleet emissions whilst also reducing emissions associated with staff, patients and visitors’ travel.
Our objectives include:
- Develop a Travel and Transportation Plan for the trust
- Ensure we have an appropriate EV charging infrastructure
- Reduce fleet-related travel emissions
- Conduct an annual staff travel survey to understand travel behaviour and support more active travel
- Provide information for staff, patients and visitors on different travel options, including walking, cycling and public transportation
Climate change has an impact on our healthcare settings through heatwaves, flooding and extreme weather events. We want to ensure our trust is resilient to these effects.
Our objectives include:
- Develop a Climate Adaptation Plan.
- Complete an annual Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) tool to review risks and mitigate them.
- Strengthen the resilience of our digital infrastructure.
Our progress to date
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- We fully switched to recycled catering containers
- Achieved '0' waste to landfill and a 60:20:20 in clinical waste segregation, reducing incineration
- 1,219t CO2e avoided from anaesthetic gases since 2019/20 - equivalent to flying around 1,500 people from London to New York
- 4.5 kt CO2e reduction in our building energy, across sites, since 2019/20 - the equivalent average electricity consumption of 7,000 homes.
- 389t CO2e saved from efficient waste management and reduction initiatives - the equivalent of 900-900 tonnes of waste
- Five air-sourced heat pumps across our hospital sites
- 15 electric vehicles for our staff to use as 'pool' cars to travel between sites and for community response
A governance structure has been developed to ensure there is an appropriate mechanism to report on progress and delivery, including appropriate accountability and responsibility. A link between the Green Champions, the Sustainability team and the working groups delivering the Green Plan, through to the trust Board, has been established.
Governance structure
The trust Board sits at the top of our governance structure and is attended by the sustainability executive Senior Responsible Officer.
Below the Board, the Programme Committee acts as the responsible committee for the Green Plan delivery.
The Sustainability Delivery Group (SDG) is accountable to the Programme Committee for the delivery of the Green Plan, across all priority areas.
The SDG oversees six working groups, aligned with the Green Plan priority areas, arranged side by side: Digital and Clinical Transformation, Workforce, Education and Training, Estates & Facilities, Travel & Transportation, Supply Chain Resources and IPC, and Pharmacy.
Finally, the Green Champions group supports the delivery of the Green Plan through taking initiatives and actions that support the ambition and are being represented through the working groups.
The membership and structure of the Sustainability Delivery Group will be established and regularly reviewed to ensure appropriate governance and attendance. The SDG will meet every two months.
Tracking and reporting progress
Our Green Plan has time-bound measures of success (qualitative and quantitative) which will be regularly tracked through a Live Tracker, to demonstrate progress. A range of reports and data collection will be carried out annually:
- Bi-monthly: Verbal and written updates against the green plan actions to our Sustainability Delivery Group, across all priority areas of the Green Plan.
- Quarterly: Greener NHS Data Collection – including fleet emissions.
- Bi-annually: Business travel mileage/emissions; Energy consumption and waste tracker; and Report to the Board against the green plan and implementation plan.
- Annually: Trust Sustainability Report (Including report(s) against the Green Plan SMART objectives); Greener NHS Green Plan Support Tool; NHS Premises Assurance Model; Estates Return Information Collection; Annual staff survey for travel and modal shift; and Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) report.
Our approach may be subject to change following any changes in local, regional or national requirements.
Beyond its impact on health, climate change has also been linked to significant financial burden. The cost of heat-related deaths due to climate change is estimated at £6.8 billion per year in the 2020s, rising sharply to £14.7 billion per year by the 2050s.
The NHS is the largest public emitter of greenhouse gases in the UK, accounting for approximately 5% of all UK emissions, and responsible for around 40% of the public sector emissions. However, many opportunities exist to reduce our impact through our transition to a net zero healthcare system for significant health benefits, including better air quality, reduced respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and more active travel.
To respond to this threat, the NHS published two clear and feasible targets to become net zero, outlined in the Delivering a net zero National Health Service report:
- To become net zero by 2040, for the emissions we control directly (the NHS Carbon Footprint), with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction* by 2028 to 2032 – this includes direct emissions from owned or directly controlled sources on site, and indirect emissions from purchased energy.
- To become net zero by 2045 for the emissions we can influence (our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus), with an ambition to reach an 80% reduction* by 2036 to 2039 – this includes all other indirect emissions occurring in the supply chain, including patient and visitor travel.
Several key legislations are supporting the NHS net zero targets, as outlined in the Health and Care Act 2022:
- The Paris Agreement 2015
- The Climate Change Act 2008
- NHS England statutory guidance for the provision of Green Plans
- The Environment Act 2021
- PPN 06/20 and PPN 06/21
- Greening Government commitments (2021-2025)
- Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosure
- Delivering the Net Zero NHS statutory guidance
- CQC Well Led
*against a 1990 baseline