Thursday 15-11-2018 - 12:01

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) have been shortlisted for a Sustainable Health and Care Award in the category of Our People for their bespoke Green Impact for Health programme.

The Green Impact for Health toolkit and awards scheme aims to address the sustainable development goals in GP services. It is a national change and engagement programme, helping people to understand sustainability and social responsibility, show them what they can do to make a difference, and supports them in achieving these actions. It has been developed over the last ten years, using social change theory and our expertise at NUS to produce a model that is bespoke to the primary care environment.

Funded by RCGP, the programme is the only free, evidence-based, easy-to-use, action plan that the UK’s 10,000 general practices can use to become a more sustainable health and social care system.

In 2017/18 70 practices registered for the programme, with 16 achieving awards. This year we engaged over 820 staff members who completed 542 actions which saved at least 37,700kg of carbon.

The overall Green Impact for Health winners this year were Frome Medical Practice who achieved a Gold Award and completed 49 actions, from preventing pharmaceutical waste to supporting staff development and collaboration through shared sustainability lunches. The practice is one leading the way in social prescribing, having launched the Compassionate Frome project in 2013.

 Karen Creffield, Practice Manager says:

 “The Green Impact Award has been a great vehicle to help make some really positive changes in the practice, alongside highlighting and supporting the work we had already committed to through our Health Connectors project and Frome Model of Enhanced Primary Care.  

Earlier this year we reviewed our purpose, vision and values.  Sustainability is one of our 3 core values together with responsibility and learning.  The Green Impact Award has really enabled us to work together as a team to really demonstrate these values in action.

Working with the local community has been an important part of the progress we have made. Joining Refill Frome is one really good example of this. In April we introduced a community water refill station in the practice. We were really proud to be one of the first adopters of the scheme, which aims to help cut down on single plastic cup and bottle use. The refill station made possible through staff fundraising, and with support of "one green bottle" we also bought over 130 stainless steel bottles for all our staff.  The feedback from staff has been really appreciative, as many are also now drinking more water too.”

 

You can read more about our Green Impact for Health work in the British Medicial Journal where former RCGP President, Terry Kemple, discusses the programme. 

The Sustainable Health and Care awards winners will be announced on Wednesday 21st November 2018 and we wish everyone who is nominated every success!