PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY
potentially save £12million and 50,000 tonnes CO2
e per annum.
Two of the homes were fully or partially heated with heat pump systems and under floor heating. Extrapolating carbon footprints out to 2050, using the governments adopted targets for electricity grid de-carbonisation, identifies that both
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of these homes will be able to achieve near zero carbon operation by 2050. Heat pumps also have the capacity to offer low-cost low-carbon cooling in heat wave conditions. Ground sourced heat pumps also offer long-term income in terms of the renewable heat incentive, with one home studied having the potential to earn £10,000 per annum from this route. Within these homes, residual carbon emissions would largely be due to gas use for water heating and clothes drying. Encouraging the inclusion of ground sourced heat pumps in new build care homes and gas Combined Heat and Power (CHP) for retrofit, would help ensure that care homes contribute to the UKs carbon targets, offer a better environment for residents and protect homes against rising energy costs. All 4 homes visited had the potential to install photovoltaics to generate electricity from sunlight (PV) and hot water from Solar Water Heating. PVs in particular, show a good return on investment and a guaranteed 20 year revenue stream. The income potential of £2-4,000 per home was typical. This level of trickle income would be ideally suited for funding social care enhancement activities such as growing food onsite or walking for health to ensure the health and wellbeing of residents, through activities such as gardening or walking.
Pharmacy There are many opportunities to PUBLIC SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY • VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6
reduce drugs waste identified in other reports, particularly Trueman Taylor et al (Trueman, 2010). From our visits, two managers identified in particular that a well managed 28 day prescription cycle with better communication and cross checking between home, GP and pharmacy, has been effective in reducing unnecessary over prescription from repeat prescriptions. Central treatment rooms, with fewer goods in resident’s rooms were identified as having been effective in aiding better management of stocks to prevent over-ordering.
A major issue identified was that pharmaceutical interventions were paid for by the GP prescription budget, while non pharmaceutical interventions, even though recommended over drugs by NICE, were paid for by the home. As an example, this gave a lesser incentive to homes to provide sensory stimulation instead of antipsychotic drugs.
Another issue identified was that drugs waste disposal through pharmacy returns is paid for by the Primary Care Trust and that comprehensive records for reasons for drugs wastage are not usually available. Potentially passing the costs of drug wastage to the prescribing GP could help to drive better communication, innovation and better practice.
Offensive waste From visits, offensive wastes were identified as a key component of care
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