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Scottish sustainability strategy launched at Orkney hospital
A new national strategy aimed at making the country’s NHS environmentally sustainable has been launched at Scotland’s first low-carbon new-build hospital by Scottish Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf. Designed by Keppie Design, and
delivered by Robertson Construction in Spring 2019, the £65 m Balfour Hospital, in Kirkwall, Orkney (pictured), is ‘fully electric’, with air-to-water heat pumps generating all hot water and heating, and solar panels helping to reduce reliance on the grid. The NHS Scotland Climate Emergency & Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026 targets ‘five crucial areas’ for achieving Net Zero: n Buildings – ensuring that buildings are well insulated, efficient, and use renewable heating systems.
n Travel – low emission electric vehicles, and making it easier for staff, patients, and visitors, to travel to NHS sites by public transport or bicycle.
n Goods and services – cutting emissions in the supply chain, and reducing the goods and materials used, and use of
single-use instruments.
n Care – reducing emissions from medicines such as metered dose inhalers or anaesthetic gases.
n Communities – supporting communities to adapt to climate change, and encouraging them to make use of the green space in hospital grounds. From next year reports will be published annually setting out the progress made in implementing the strategy. Visiting the Balfour Hospital, Humza
Yousaf said: “As we continue our efforts to push ahead with the recovery of health and social care after the challenges of the last two years, we need to think long- term about how to make services more sustainable. With such a large estate, environmental sustainability is a key part of this for the NHS, so I’m pleased to be able to launch this strategy today. Our approach will help build on the great work already done to accelerate our efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and become environmentally sustainable. As well as the environmental impacts, I am also very mindful of the recent increase in
Devon entrepreneurs develop new sanitising ‘orb’ with bank funding
Two Devon-based entrepreneurs have developed a touch-free sanitising station which they say ‘reduces the consumption of single- use plastic bottles and messy alcohol gels’, with the support of HSBC UK funding.
Rob Searle and John Ellacott at Ezisan have developed a ‘unique’ orb-shaped electronic sanitising unit which deploys an ultra-fine, ‘semi-dry’ alcohol-free ‘mist’ for use on both hands and small objects, to help combat viruses and bacteria. Intended to ‘dramatically reduce the reliance on single-use plastic bottles’, it also removes the need for paper towels. The disinfectant stations are designed to quickly and conveniently sanitise hands and small objects such as mobile phones, credit cards, and keys. The developers say laboratory testing of the fluid used indicates that it kills 99.99% of enveloped viruses upon contact.
HSBC UK funding has enabled the entrepreneurs to purchase the
12 Health Estate Journal October 2022
production tools required to ‘finesse’ the station and increase manufacturing capacity ahead of its official launch. Ezisan is releasing eight models to suit differing customer requirements, with prices starting at £500. The company said: “Customers
will see a rapid return on their investment, due to the low operation costs per application, compared with other gel or liquid based solutions.” Ezisan is setting its sights on global expansion across large offices and the healthcare, hospitality, FM, and business sectors, from its Devon manufacturing base.
Ezisan uses a ‘semi-dry sanitising spray mist’. Users simply place their hands into the mist, rub them together, and turn them over, which ‘effectively sanitises the majority of bacteria, viruses, and other germs’. Key features include:
n Automatic, non-touch operation; n Silent operation; n ‘Very low’ power consumption; n ‘Easy to maintain and service’.
energy prices, and there is a clear benefit in reducing energy use and increasing efficiency in everything we do. “To achieve the transformational change that is necessary we need to establish a culture where resources are safeguarded and used responsibly. With that in mind I have been really impressed with what I have seen in Orkney. The team here are driving forward innovative ways to ensure they have low carbon emissions.” NHS Orkney is further cutting emissions
by trialling an onsite treatment facility to handle low-risk clinical waste, previously sent to the mainland for treatment. The Balfour’s grounds are also being
used for the community’s benefit – giving a space for staff, patients, and the wider community, to rest, relax, recover, and carry out recreational gardening activities. NHS Scotland’s local Health Boards’ building emissions decreased by 64% between 1989/90 and 2020/21.
New MD takes the reins at Ascom
Specialist in healthcare ICT and mobile workflow solutions, Ascom UK - whose ‘healthcare solutions’ include nurse call, alarm management, silent ward, and mobile solutions – has announced the appointment of Paul McCann as Managing Director for the UK and Ireland. Bringing two decades of commercial management, operational leadership, and consultancy experience, he succeeds Paul Lawrence, who left the company in July. Joining from KPMG, he has a strong background across acute healthcare – one of Ascom UK’s key markets, and the long-term care and enterprise channel segments. Prior to his spell at KPMG, he spent 18 years at Johnson & Johnson in senior leadership roles, working in multiple healthcare disciplines throughout the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
He said: “I’m really excited to join
Ascom UK, which has been in the UK for over 60 years, with expertise in hardware manufacture, software development, and system integration.”
David Cadzow, © copyright CadzowPelosi
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