EcoQIP Bank
One small change, repeated at scale, makes a big difference. At Eco Medics, we believe that by working together, we genuinely can make a big difference.
The Eco Medics Quality Improvement Project (EcoQIP) Bank is designed to allow exactly that. Think big, start small, scale quickly.
The EcoQIP Bank contains the resources you need to make environmentally-positive changes at work: posters, slide decks, email templates and more. Get inspired by success stories, access the resources and implement change.
A quick guide to difficulty ratings:
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Easy: You can implement changes solo. Getting results is straightforward
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Medium: You might collaborate with others locally. Data collection may take time
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Challenging: You may need approval or collaboration with management or personnel at other sites. Data collection is complex or unusual. Results are high yield.
Already completed a project that you think could be scaled up? We'd love to hear from you - scroll to the bottom to find out more!
Pharmaceuticals
The Inhaler Switch
Pressurised Metred Dose Inhalers (pMDIs) have a g-CO2eq 25x more than dry powder inhalers (DPIs), with one dose (2 puffs) of a pMDI equivalent to a 1.7 mile trip in a typical car. The switch is simple, act today.
Background: Use and disposal of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) pMDIs account for 3-4% of UK healthcare's carbon footprint. Multiple GP practices across Britain are encouraging patients to consider the environment with their inhaler choices. This really is a switch that has huge carbon saving potential when scaled up.
This ecoQIP is perfect for primary care and is coming soon, so watch this space!
We Offer: Coming Soon
Time to Complete: Coming Soon
Difficulty Rating: Coming Soon
Theatres
Theatre Shutdown
Theatres account for up to 40% of a hospitals carbon footprint. Turning off heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) out-of-hours can be a high impact intervention creating long-lasting change.
Background: Given the energy demands of hospital theatre complexes, strategies need to be in place to help reduce them. This EcoQIP will engage relevant stakeholders in theatre spaces, identify sources of energy consumption and then help implement shifts in behaviour of theatre staff.
Paired with the engagement of Estates and Facilities, this QIP should allow you to measure change quantitatively in terms of kWH and CO2 equivalents in the long term as well.
We Offer:
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A 'rationale' slide deck
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Pre/post staff survey
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Department awareness poster
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Completion/Troubleshooting Guide
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Theatre shutdown checklist
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Dynamic data collection matrix
Time to Complete: 6 months
Difficulty Rating: Challenging
Reusables
The Coffee Cup Project
Disposable catering items cost the NHS over £5million and 11,000 tonnes of CO2e in 2019/20. Replacing single-use items with reusables can bring multiple benefits for staff and patients alike.
Background: Disposable coffee cups contribute to landfill waste and the NHS carbon footprint. This EcoQIP guides you through the process of replacing those single-use items with reusable ones to change our throwaway culture and save costs and CO2e.
This project saved 7.74 tonnes of CO2e in the Intensive Care Unit of UCLH - the original Eco Medics QIP
We Offer:
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Step-by-step guide
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Template posters
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Data collection tools
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Sample stakeholder presentation
Time to Complete: 3 months
Difficulty Rating: Medium
Quick Wins
Brightness Dimmer
Electrical items account for a huge part of the NHS Carbon footprint. Learn how this simple intervention reduces energy use and when scaled will have a significant impact, without changing user experience.
Background: Reducing screen brightness can save energy, carbon emissions, costs and reduce eyestrain. This simple intervention gives modest gains for minimal input, but can easily be scaled up across an organisation to maximise its impact.
This project ran over one year in the Emergency Department of Royal Preston Hospital in 2021-2 and saved 1352 kWh, £232 and 315 kg CO2e.
We Offer:
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Step-by-step guide
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Energy, CO2 and financial calculator
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Departmental posters
Time to Complete: 1 month
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Nutrition
The Plant-Based Canteen
Britons reduced their meat consumption by 17% in the last decade, but this has been slow to reflect in hospital menu options. Help your canteen increase its plant-based catering ability with this project.
Background: There is generally a lack of suitable vegan and sustainable food options in hospitals. This EcoQIP outlines how to go about persuading your canteen to change their menu and implement this as a sustainable (and delicious) change.
We Offer:
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Step-by-step guide
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Template emails to stakeholders
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A survey to send to all staff
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Example menus
Time to Complete: 3-6 months
Difficulty Rating: Challenging
Reusables
Reusable Scrub Hats
Disposable PPE annually generates tonnes of waste, with unequivocal costs to the environment and NHS budgets, and questionable infection control effectiveness. Behaviours need to change.
Background: In a hospital with 20 theatres, around 100,000 scrubs caps are disposed to incineration or landfill annually, with evidence to show they are not superior to reusables when preventing infection.
LUHFT have successfully implemented the use of reusable caps with names and roles for all our theatre staff across our three sites, with a projected cost saving of £53,000 over three years, the average lifespan of a hat.
This ecoQIP is perfect for surgeons, anaesthetists, ODPs and scrub nurses. It's coming soon, so watch this space!
We Offer: Coming Soon
Time to Complete: Coming Soon
Difficulty Rating: Coming Soon
Submit your own EcoQIP!
Proud of a project you've already done that you think should be scaled up? We'd love to hear from you, and we'll help you make it happen. Get in touch now.
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Adding your project to our EcoQIP bank will magnify its impact. We will give you regular updates on how many times your EcoQIP has been actioned and the total CO2 savings it has accumulated.
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You will be the accredited author of the QIP template and if we subsequently publish your EcoQIP in an academic journal, you will retain author credit.
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We can provide a certificate for your portfolio
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You may have the chance to present your EcoQIP at the Eco Medics Annual Conference, and we will promote it via our newsletter and social media channels.