Our Green Plan

At Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, we are driven by our determination to provide our patients with the highest quality care, the best clinical outcomes and a positive patient experience. Our Green Plan specifically aligns with this – every step improves the patient experience and brings us closer to a more resilient health care service, fit for a changing future.

What we have achieved so far

We first introduced our Green Plan in 2022, and since then we have made strong progress in reducing our environmental impact. One of our biggest achievements has been cutting emissions from medical gases – by stopping the use of desflurane and removing piped nitrous oxide, we have reduced carbon emissions from anaesthetic gases by around 90%. These changes demonstrate that it is possible to reduce our impact on the environment whilst continuing to deliver high-quality patient care.

Developing our updated Green Plan

We have now updated our Green Plan to set out how we will continue this work over the next five years. This can be read here.

The updated plan focuses on:

• Reducing core emissions across our hospital buildings and estate
• Delivering clinical services in more sustainable ways
• Switching from single-use to reusables where it is safe and appropriate to do so
• Making sustainability part of everyday decision-making across the Trust.

The new 10 Year Health Plan for England with its emphasis on moving patient care in to the community, more digitally enabled care, and a care model of prevention, is an important driver for the refreshed approach to our Green Plan. Our partnership approach with Care Without Carbon ensures we are aligned across the health system, maximising the benefits of NHS scale and influence.

Now, more than ever, the broader gains of sustainable choices are important to recognise. Through this Green Plan, we are supporting challenges linked to tighter resources and increasing demand on services by enabling innovations in care delivery that cut costs, improve health and support our shared environment.

Together we can create a healthcare system that supports our staff, patients and communities, and the environment on which our health depends. Please read our Green Plan to find out more about what we hope to achieve.

Page updated: 15 April 2026.