Greener Healthcare: Everyday Choices
When we think about looking after our health, we don’t always think about the health of the planet too. But for our Green Team, the two are increasingly connected.
Our GP Dr Laura Bell is passionate about finding practical ways to reduce our environmental impact across our surgeries, while continuing to provide the best possible care for our patients.
“Sustainability in healthcare can sound like a huge challenge, but there are lots of smaller changes we can make that collectively have a real impact,” says Dr Laura.
“It’s about looking at what we do every day and asking whether there might be a better way of doing it.”
Making our healthcare greener
Healthcare has an environmental footprint, from the energy needed to run surgeries to the medicines, equipment and single-use products involved in providing care.
As part of our Greener Practice commitment, we’re looking across the practice at where we can make positive changes.
That includes reducing unnecessary single-use products and packaging, improving recycling and waste management, using digital processes where appropriate and considering the environmental impact of prescribing.
Some of the changes are relatively simple. Others involve looking more closely at established ways of working and considering whether there are alternatives that are better for our patients, our teams and the environment.
Our Green Team has also been encouraging colleagues to think about sustainability beyond the consulting room, with initiatives including beach cleans, greener journeys to work and opportunities to share rather than buy new.
But making more sustainable choices isn’t something that only happens within our surgeries.
What about the products we use every month?
Period products are one everyday example where small changes can help reduce the amount of plastic we use.
Traditional disposable pads can contain significant amounts of plastic, while tampons can also come with plastic applicators and packaging. Because these products are designed to be used once and thrown away, that waste quickly adds up over a lifetime of periods.
There are now lots of alternatives to traditional disposable period products, so if you’re thinking about reducing the amount of plastic you use, there are a few options you could consider:
Reusable period pads which are worn in a similar way to disposable pads and can be washed and reused.
Period underwear which can be worn during your period and washed and reused. Period swimwear is also available.
Menstrual cups which are reusable internal products that collect menstrual blood and can be worn for several hours before being emptied.
Menstrual discs which are another reusable internal option and sit differently to menstrual cups.
Organic or plastic-free pads and tampons which can be an alternative if you prefer disposable products but want to reduce the amount of plastic you use.
Dr Laura says the important thing is finding something that works for you.
“There isn’t one period product that is going to be right for everybody. What you use is a very personal choice and things like comfort, your lifestyle and cost all matter.
“But if you’re interested in reducing the amount of plastic you use, your period products are one area you might not have considered before. You don’t have to change everything at once. It might simply be trying period underwear at home, choosing a tampon without a plastic applicator or seeing whether a reusable product works for you.”
Reusable products can also have the benefit of reducing the number of period products you need to buy over time, although there is usually a greater cost upfront.
If your periods are particularly heavy, Dr Laura also recommends speaking to your GP, as there may be options available to help manage them.
Small changes add up
For our Green Team, that idea of making realistic, manageable changes is at the heart of greener healthcare.
None of us can eliminate our environmental impact completely, and sustainability shouldn’t become another source of pressure. But there are opportunities to make different choices, both as individuals and as a healthcare provider.
“We’re learning all the time about what we can do differently.”
“Not every change will work for every person or every situation, but lots of small changes made by lots of people can add up to something significant.”
At Healthcare Group, we’ll continue looking at the way we work, the products we use and the choices we make to find practical ways of reducing our environmental impact while looking after the health of our island community.
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