Sustainabilty

At UHNM, we recognise that the NHS is responsible for the nation’s health, and this is directly affected by climate change.

Looking after our environment has many benefits for health and wellbeing, including cleaner air, improved access to green spaces, healthier food, and the ability to protect vulnerable members of the community from the effects of extreme weather.

Therefore, the Trust is fully committed to supporting the NHS's ambition to become a Net-Zero emission health service. A sustainable UHNM can provide better patient care and a healthier working environment for our employees. 

What we have achieved so far

• Engaging and empowering our employees to make a difference in their everyday work through our Low Carbon Care Framework staff development and recognition scheme
• In addition, we have over 350 ‘SWITCH to a Sustainable UHNM’ Green Champions driving sustainability forward in their teams.
• Our Keep Warm Keep Well community energy scheme uses income from energy generated by our solar panels to fund interventions targeted at our most vulnerable members of our community,y whose health conditions are at risk of being exacerbated by living in a cold and damp home.
• We have switched to portable cylinders for our Nitrous Oxide anaesthetic gas and eliminating waste from pipework leaks. 
• Significant investment has been put into improving energy efficiency, which will save around 2,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions through the lifetime of the equipment.

Our Green Plan for 2025/26 - 2028/29

UHNM’s Green Plan for 2025/26 – 2028/29 outlines the Trust’s sustainability strategy for the next 3 years. It places a strong emphasis on empowering our staff to embed sustainability in their everyday working lives and supporting them to deliver low-carbon care for our patients. 

The Green Plan aligns with our Trust Strategy for 2025-35 and the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England. It describes our commitment, targets, objectives, and plans to mitigate the effects of climate change and achieve Net Zero, working with our partners and stakeholders to achieve our goals together.

You can view and download the UHNM Green Plan 2025/26 – 2028/29 below:

UHNM Green Plan 2025/26 - 2028/29 Summary
UHNM Green Plan 2025/26 - 2028/29 Full Length Document

We would like to thank all contributors and partners for their collective support in developing this strategy and for working together to set out a joint approach to delivering the key areas of focus across UHNM.

For any questions or queries regarding please contact switch@uhnm.nhs.uk.