East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) is taking major steps to become one of the greenest NHS Trusts in the North West with a series of innovative projects already delivering significant environmental and financial benefits.
The Trust has made substantial progress in reducing emissions from clinical care. It became the first Trust in the region to fully decommission leaking piped nitrous oxide systems, a move expected to prevent more than 51,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over the next decade.
The use of desflurane, a highly polluting anaesthetic gas, has also been reduced to almost zero, saving the Trust around £179,000 each year and avoiding an estimated 700,000 kilograms of CO₂ annually.
Teams across Theatres, Critical Care and Community Services are contributing to this work by replacing single-use items with greener, reusable alternatives. Coolsticks have replaced ethyl chloride coolant sprays, reusable theatre hats have cut textile waste and Endoscopy has eliminated thousands of single-use plastic bags by introducing washable patient belongings bags. A new walking aid recycling initiative is also helping reduce waste while ensuring returned equipment is safely reused.
The Trust is strengthening sustainability through responsible purchasing, with a new seven-point procurement standard ensuring environmental considerations are built into every significant purchase. This includes assessing carbon impact, packaging, recycled content and end-of-life disposal.
Investment in renewable energy is also increasing, with solar panels being installed at Burnley General Teaching Hospital and Pendle Community Hospital. The panels are expected to generate more than one million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually and save around £250,000 per year. Further improvements to lighting, heating and building management systems are reducing energy use across hospital sites.
Sustainability Lead and consultant anaesthetists at the Trust, Dr Jason Lie said, “I am delighted with what ELHT has achieved so far.”
“However, in order to make us one of the greenest trusts in the country, we need to continue to work together, do our parts no matter how small & promote sustainable healthcare to the public to keep this momentum going.”
Dr Lie leads a growing network of Green Champions, helping to drive this culture change by identifying practical opportunities to cut waste and improve resource efficiency.
These efforts support ELHT’s wider ambition to help the NHS achieve net-zero emissions and reflect the Trust’s commitment to protecting the environment while continuing to provide safe, high-quality care for patients and communities across East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.