Briefing / Moving towards green theatres

Operating theatres are the most energy-intensive parts of hospitals and major contributors of waste. This HFMA roundtable, supported by KARL STORZ Endoscopy (UK), looked at ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

The participants highlighted the value of data and evidence to support changes in clinical practice and identified a role for incentives to reward environmental champions and to help fund further green initiatives. They also discussed the importance of engagement – securing wide-ranging buy-in for change programmes – and the need for a multi-disciplinary approach in key areas.

While there continues to be a focus on reducing the use of high emission anaesthetic gases, the roundtable also discussed how greater use of reusable items will help the delivery of the health service's net zero ambition and identified ways in which sustainability is being embedded into governance arrangements.