NHS Scotland expands green healthcare programme to reduce carbon and waste
NHS Scotland is expanding a national programme designed to cut carbon emissions and reduce waste across healthcare services.
The Green Healthcare Scotland programme, led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and hosted by NHS Golden Jubilee, builds on successful work in hospital operating theatres and is now being extended into renal and endoscopy services—two of the most resource-intensive areas of care.
The programme focuses on helping clinical teams reduce environmental impact while maintaining high standards of patient care. Early work has already shown that reducing waste and energy use in healthcare settings can deliver both environmental and financial benefits.
Through a clinically led approach, Green Healthcare Scotland is supporting NHS boards to identify carbon “hotspots”, reduce single-use materials, and improve energy efficiency across services.
Initial results have identified potential savings of more than 12,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, alongside significant cost savings for the health service.
As the programme expands, it will continue to apply proven methods across a wider range of specialties, supporting NHS Scotland’s wider ambition to deliver a more sustainable, low‑carbon healthcare system.