Given that anaesthesia has a relatively high carbon footprint compared to other parts of healthcare, they realise that sustainability efforts matter more at work than on the home front.
It has been demonstrated in Australian and international hospitals that a significant proportion of nitrous oxide purchased by the hospital leaks directly into the atmosphere from piped manifold systems serving no clinical purpose. “No 2 N 2 O” aims to redu ce the volume of leaks by identifying leaks and wastage and educating clinicians to reduce their clinical use of nitrous oxide. Sustainable paediatric care: redefining MRI practices in children Our initiative of reducing the use of general anaesthesia in Paediatric MRI blends patient safety with environmental sustainability, a step towards integrating eco consciousness with healthcare. This approach aims to inspire further innovations that lead healthcare into a greener, more sustainable future.
Dr Carola Wittekind Net Zero Lead, NSLHD
Senior Staff Specialist and Head Department of Paediatrics, RNSH & Dr Mazhar Shabeena Staff Specialist Paediatrics, RNSH and The Children ’ s Hospital at Westmead Carola is a member of Doctors for the Environment Australia and was Board Vice- President Children’s Healthcare Australasia (CHA) until 2023. Carola was instrumental in including ‘Advocating for a healthy sustainable future for children, families and the
planet’ as a priority in the CHA strategic plan, CHA joining the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, and implementing the Sustainable Healthcare Series to support members sharing know-how, ideas and strategies to reduce their impact on the environment. Shabeena has a background in data analysis and visualisation including carbon footprinting and life cycle analysis.
Pill-easing the planet: a solution for medication waste Pharmaceuticals are found to contaminate our soils and waterways world-wide, leading to global health threats such as the development of anti-microbial resistance. The introduction of pharmaceutical waste bins across Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital and then all of NSLHD will ensure pharmaceuticals are destroyed appropriately, preventing direct environmental contamination and providing a safer hospital setting for our patients.
Deborah Barry & Sally Nicolson Net Zero Leads, NSLHD Senior Clinical Pharmacists, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital Deborah has over 20 years’ experience in the hospital setting, where she has developed a keen belief that human and ecological health are interconnected and of equal worth. Deborah feels that “regeneration” now supersedes “sustainability” as our
primary goal for global human, ecological and planetary health.
Sally has two decades of experience in the health industry from around the globe. She believes that climate change is the great threat to the future of human health and preserving and restoring our environment is the greatest public health need. As we care for our patients, we can make small significant changes to reduce our climate impact.
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