A healthier planet means healthier people.
The climate crisis is one of the biggest health challenges we face.
The NHS is one of the largest organisations in the world. It is, in fact, responsible for 40 per cent of the public sector’s carbon footprint. Therefore, it has a crucial part to play in reducing the impact on the planet. It has pledged to become the world’s first net zero National Health Service.
Our Trust Green Plan for 2025–2028 sets out how we will look after both your health and the health of our planet. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face, and everyone at the Trust has a part to play. This plan explains what we’re doing to reduce pollution, save energy and water, and make the Trust a cleaner, healthier place for everyone. Together, our actions will help create a better future for our patients, staff, and local communities.
What Is the Green Plan?
The Green Plan is our guide to making the Trust environmentally friendly between 2025 and 2028. Our goal is for the NHS to become “net zero”—which means we no longer add harmful carbon emissions to the environment. We want to deliver great care that also protects the world around us.
Our Main Goals
- Reduce energy use and waste.
- Use cleaner vehicles and travel options.
- Make healthier, lower-carbon food choices.
- Buy and use things in ways that create less pollution.
- Prepare our buildings and teams for extreme weather.
- Use digital technology to cut pollution and make work easier.
- Support and train staff to help us meet our green targets.
How can you help?
When visiting the hospital, patients can help the hospital, protect the planet and support our Green Plan by making small but important choices that reduce waste, save energy, and cut pollution.
- Try to walk, cycle, or take the bus or train when coming to the hospital instead of using a car, when possible. This helps cut down pollution.
- If you come by electric car, you can use the charging points at the hospital to keep it charged.
- Use recycling bins and don’t throw away rubbish when you visit.
- Save energy and water by turning off lights or taps if you can when you are at the hospital.
- If you can, use video and telephone calls with doctors instead of travelling to the hospital.
- Bring your own medicines to the hospital in their original boxes or containers. This helps to stop wasting medicine, makes sure you keep taking the right medicine without missing any, and helps the hospital use medicine more carefully to protect the environment.
- Be kind to the gardens and green areas outside the hospital that help insects and birds, this includes walking on designated paths.
- Respect eco-friendly equipment like energy saving lights and heating systems.
- Pick healthy food options that are better for the planet when you eat at the hospital.
- Let the hospital know what you think about their green plan to help us improve.
- Learn about the hospital’s green projects and help spread the word to others.
Success stories
STSFT Wins NHS Forest Award – Green Space on a Budget
We’re thrilled to announce that our Tree-mendous tree planting initiative at South Tyneside District Hospital has won the NHS Forest Award in the Green Space on a Budget category 2025. With the help of over 60 dedicated volunteers and fantastic support from Choice, the team successfully planted more than 2,000 trees.
