HEALTHCARE & SUS TAINABI L I T Y
Scope for making greener choices
Kerry Dolan discusses how hospitals could develop eco-friendly endoscopy practices and contribute to greener and more sustainable healthcare.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed 2020 in ways that we had never seen before. While most of us would agree that the pandemic hasn’t presented many advantages, a surprising upshot of the COVID era is some earth healing environmental reimbursements. According to a recent article published in the call for sustainability amid
The Lancet,1
COVID-19 has increased after witnessing the changes during the lockdown period. The lockdown has been, for most, a restrictive and worrying time, but in these flight and traffic reduced months, the planet has undoubtedly reaped the benefits. All is not forgiven, however, as COVID-19 has not only gifted us a global recession to deal with but also an increased impact on waste. Take a walk down your street and you will undoubtedly see several used face masks idling the pathway. According to the article, the NHS accounts for 5.4% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions.2
Endoscopy is a major
contributor to this amount, generating 3.09 kg of waste per bed, per day.3
Decontamination processes using high volumes of water and multiple disinfectants, a lack of non-recyclable, sustainably sourced products and many hospital visits for patients and relatives are contributing to these figures. Although most processes are necessary, some are crying out for change. The article also noted that there is an urgent unfulfilled need for further research on achieving sustainable practice in endoscopy. It is estimated that between 2030 – 2050, climate change will be responsible for an additional 250,000 deaths per year globally.4
This is reason enough that everyone must now play their part in
Endoscopy, like all departments in the healthcare sector, should be aiming towards making small steps in the search for a more sustainable practice – increased recycling, improved waste separations, avoidance of single-use items where possible and using sustainable alternative products.
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reducing our carbon emissions and making a greener and sustainable environment not only in healthcare but in all walks of life. The reasons for reacting now are clear – without a viable plan for the future our own health could be impacted by the carbon footprint of society today.
More research and increased availability There is a huge requirement for further investigation into the sustainability of each stage in endoscopy procedures, with this data small and gradual changes can be pinpointed that could help create an eco- friendly endoscopy practice. Determining unnecessary procedures was deemed in the article as an important first step. However, as endoscopy is such an important factor in helping to diagnose life threatening diseases such as cancer, this is a challenging problem that healthcare providers are having to face.
There is little data available regarding using reusable versus disposable equipment but use of reusable devices can often reduce costs in the long term and provide a reduction in packaging and clinical waste.5
Individual endoscopy departments appear to have MARCH 2021
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