Stamford Team Receives The Greener Impact Award  

The Stamford team has been awarded the Greener Impact for Health Award after using a toolkit that helps GP practices to improve their sustainability and environmental credentials. The practice achieved enough points to qualify for the Silver Award and they are continuing the good work, expanding the team so that people can have a specific area of responsibility for green issues, and aiming for the Gold award.

These include making changes to crucial areas including energy and water usage, recycling, prescribing, green travel and exercise. Benefits include increased environmental sustainability, cost savings, improved staff morale and efficiency and working together to contribute toward the NHS Greener plan.

Greener Impact for Health is delivered by Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS UK), led by Greener Practice and the online toolkit is funded by the Royal College of General Practitioners.

GP Partner Dr Hannah Waddingham, had seen the initiative successfully put into place at one of her previous practices and she wanted to introduce it at Stamford.  She was joined by Operations and Compliance Manager Michelle Inwood and Pharmacist Stuart Richmond to make improvements where possible.

Michelle said: ‘We were aiming to go for the bronze level but achieved a lot of points in our first year so were able to get the silver award. The qualifying toolkit covers a lot of areas so it takes a lot of time to collate all the evidence and it is an ongoing process.

‘It is improving energy consumption and efficiency through switching to LED bulbs, turning lights and equipment off and putting up signage to remind staff.  Some of the items were about making sure that the medicines prescribed were appropriate. Some of the asthma inhalers which currently use greenhouse gases, could be replaced with dry powder inhalers, so it is about looking at making changes where we can, without affecting patient experience or safety.   

Another section was on health and wellbeing. We are a Parkrun practice so encourage exercise, walking to work where possible and making the most of green areas and outdoor spaces. We have also started using Fairtrade tea and coffee and doing plant-based bring and share lunches when we have our staff training or meetings. We have done a couple of those and although people were a bit reticent at first it is a great way of trying new dishes. People have been really positive about them and it is a great way to bring the team together so this will be something we continue.