About the project

The NHS has a national ambition to deliver the world’s first net zero health service and respond to climate change, improving health outcomes now and for future generations. Operating theatres have a significant carbon footprint. Anaesthetic gas use is responsible for 2% or NHS carbon footprint. The NHS Long Term plan commits to lowering this by 40% by “transforming anaesthetic practices”.

In response to the NHS NetZero report the WMAHSN is scoping the implementation of a practical e- toolkit to help theatre teams implement changes to theatre practices to reduce their carbon footprint.

Project ambitions

The WMAHSN are currently scoping an e-toolkit that will:

• Reduce the use of volatile anaesthetics
• Promote the implementation of the NHS England Nitric Oxide Toolkit
• Share worked examples and case studies of quality improvement projects that improve the environmental impact of theatre practice and enable quality improvement at pace
• Provide potential cost improvement and waste management project examples
• Improve carbon impact of theatres