Bantry Injury Unit wins eco-friendly award

The HSE South West Injury Unit (IU) located at Bantry General Hospital has won a Silver Award for becoming cleaner, greener and more eco-friendly.

The award comes from a project called GreenED, run by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) in the UK. The initiative is designed to measure and reduce the environmental impact of Emergency Departments and Injury Units, driving environmentally sustainable practices within the speciality of Emergency Medicine.

This project helps emergency medical teams find innovative ways to protect nature. By recycling more, using less electricity and cutting down on waste, Bantry Injury Unit is helping the planet while still taking excellent care of patients who need urgent medical care. Departments can sign-up to the programme directly and work towards achieving evidence-based actions that are divided into Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.

Carole Croke, Hospital Manager at Bantry General Hospital, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to receive this Silver GreenED award. Our staff at the Injury Unit have worked incredibly hard to find green solutions that save energy and cut down on waste. I’d like to congratulate staff member Dr Rachel Fellowes, who led the team here in Bantry to help them win this award.”

Marguerite Murray, Clinical Nurse Manager, HSE South West said:
“We embraced the Green ED initiative in Bantry Injury Unit as we saw it as an ideal opportunity to enhance patient care, to increase our efficiency and to promote stewardship of our valuable resources such as time, staff, drugs, and equipment. The changes we made demonstrably reduced our carbon emissions which has enhanced our overall service. We, as a multidisciplinary team, are very pleased to have been awarded our Silver accreditation this year and are looking forward to working towards Gold next year.”

Some of the sustainability measures that were introduced include:
• Streamlining waste streams, ensuring bins were being used appropriately
• Reduced use of disposable materials including curtains, tourniquets and cups
• Switching to electronic communication methods rather than postage, cutting down on paper, and the cost of postage with its associated carbon footprint
• Introducing two new dressings which increases the time between dressing changes and reduces the need for transfers to Cork
• Encouraging proper use of crutches and finding a way to reuse mobility aids
• Working with sustainability officers and hospital estates in the development of a Green Space which will encourage biodiversity and wellbeing

Annette Logan, Head of Service and Integrated Healthcare Area (IHA) Lead commented:
“This award shows that we can look after our community’s health and look after the planet at the same time. Addressing these actions not only improves the environmental sustainability of the Bantry Injury Unit but contributes to national net zero targets and creates financial savings, while improving patient care.”

Priscilla Lynch, Integrated Health Area (IHA) Manager for Cork South and West, added:
“This is a fantastic achievement for Bantry and a wonderful example for other care teams across the HSE South West region. Taking care of the environment is everyone’s job, and the team here has proven that small, smart changes in our clinics and units can make a massive difference.”

The green project in Ireland is supported by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Climate Action team, the National Clinical Programme for Emergency Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), and SPARK Innovation Funding.

Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said:
“A huge congratulations to colleagues at Bantry Injury Unit. This summer, some parts of the UK and Ireland we have seen firsthand the impact that man-made climate change can have. As Emergency Medicine clinicians, we see how this effects our patients and so it fills me with hope that colleagues across the world taking matters into their own hands. Tackling climate change is more important now than ever.”

A total of five Emergency Departments and Injury Units in Ireland have been recognised for their commitment to sustainable healthcare and a further four sites have commenced their accreditation journey.

ENDS