Sustainable Procurement

Welcome!

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare is a registered charity working since 2008 to help the health sector reduce its carbon footprint, and it is now one of the world's foremost institutions for sustainable healthcare research and practice. The team draws on knowledge and experience from public health, clinical practice, environmental consultancy, research and public policy to develop the methods and metrics to reduce the footprint of clinical care.

Course outline

This interactive course highlights the leadership role procurement staff can play in the transformation towards a net zero health system. The course provides an overview of the relationship between procurement, the health sector and the climate and ecological crises. How is procurement both vulnerable to and contributing to climate change and ecological degradation? What would sustainable procurement look like? Using a practical workshop approach the course explores the steps which procurement staff can take to become leaders in sustainable transformation. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course you will be able to:

1. Describe how the global environmental crisis undermines human health and healthcare systems.
2. Identify how healthcare consumption contributes to the global environmental crisis. 
3. Identify carbon hotspots and understand the basic principles of carbon footprinting.
4. Apply the principles of sustainability to healthcare product procurement.  
5. Demonstrate climate literacy by planning a project to reduce the environmental impact of procurement in your workplace. 
   

Course Structure

The course is divided into three parts.

Part I. Self-study online - Interactive online materials covering all course content, illustrated with case studies, presented in bite-sized modules.  The course is flexible to your interests and available time; a condensed version can be completed in under 2 hours using the module summary pages,  whilst the full course contains 8 hours of more in depth study. A discussion forum allows you to reflect on your learning and share thoughts and ideas with fellow learners.  A short video on the home page outlines how to navigate the learning platform and obtain your certificate of completion. The learning materials are available to you from the point of booking and for 6 months after your workshop date. You can see a table of contents for the self study materials herehere. 

Part 2. Live workshop online - The 4 hour virtual workshop consolidates your understanding of the course materials and then focuses on helping you develop ideas for a sustainability project in your setting;  translating your learning into action through small group discussions with CSH experts and colleagues from around the world using the range of resources and tools. A separate certificate of completion is provided for the workshop.

Part 3. Mentoring:

 After completing the self-study materials and online workshop you are invited to attend our online Sustainable Healthcare Cafés. The 1 hour cafes occur regularly throughout the year and  offer ongoing support for you to put your learning in to practice. They are a friendly, informal setting in which to:

• Get support for sustainability projects from peers and CSH staff
• Make connections with others bringing sustainability projects into their workplace

You are welcome to continue attending the cafes as many times as you wish. Upcoming dates are available here and will also be emailed out to you with your certificate of completion after the workshop.

What future do we choose?

Human health is inextricably linked to the health of the earth’s natural systems, which create the air we breathe, the food we can grow, the proliferation of diseases and much more. This complex set of relationships is sometimes referred to as ‘planetary health’ and is increasingly recognized as a critical perspective in health improvement and protection.  Since 1980 global greenhouse gas emissions have doubled, and human activity has removed about half the wild birds, mammals, fish, invertebrates and insects on our planet. The health implications of this are clear, and terrifying, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic starkly demonstrates this. Individuals, organizations, and movements across the world have called a climate emergency to respond.  There is a huge amount to do and we are all needed. There are many important ways to make a difference and this course is a starting point for this exploration.

To kick off, we invite you to enjoy this evocative 2 minute video poem What Future Do We Choose?

List of contributors:

Stella Cockerill, Regional Net Zero Programme Lead, NHS England East of England.

Anna-Lisa Mills, FIEMA, CEnv, MSc, BSc, PGCE. Sustainability Manager, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Clare Nash, RN. Head of Clinical Products Management, Black Country Alliance Procurement Team.

Mark Page, MSc, MIWFM. ICS Associate Director for Estates and Net Zero, Norfolk & Waveney.

  

© 2024 Centre for Sustainable Healthcare