Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has achieved Silver Accreditation with the national environmental accreditation scheme, iiE (Investors in the Environment). 
The Investors in the Environment (iiE) accreditation is a prestigious recognition awarded to organisations demonstrating exceptional commitment to improving their sustainability efforts. Achieving the Silver level is a testament to Northumbria Healthcare’s continuous efforts to promote sustainability throughout the trust.
The trust originally applied to achieve Bronze Accreditation but due to ongoing efforts to improve sustainability, they surpassed the level for Bronze and achieved Silver Accreditation with a score of 77%.
To achieve Silver level accreditation, an organisation must continue to develop and implement its Environmental Management System and put forward a range of projects that will support continual improvement in resource and carbon management. Silver accredited organisations will also need to implement a travel plan, improve upon waste management practices and manage staff communication and engagement.
Clare Winter, head of sustainability said: “We’re delighted to have achieved this prestigious accreditation. The climate crisis is a health emergency and one of the biggest health challenges faced by our community. At Northumbria Healthcare, we have made our Net Zero action plan a priority to help us achieve Net Zero status by 2040.
“Securing the silver level accreditation from iiE is an incredible achievement. Since developing our Net Zero action plan we have had excellent buy-in from our senior management and board of directors supporting the agenda. Our wider staff have also been heavily involved with our Net Zero journey who have supported our developments and have embraced change to help us achieve our sustainability goals. I hope our success will inspire others to consider how they can adapt their ways of working to improve their sustainability efforts.”
Birju Bartoli, chief executive of Northumbria Healthcare said: “I am incredibly proud of our sustainability team who have shown passion, hard work and dedication and have helped the trust achieve this accreditation. There have been many achievements over the past year that have helped us reach this milestone including the decarbonisation project at North Tyneside General Hospital which will hopefully reduce carbon emissions by 75% at the site.
“This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to improving our sustainability efforts to not only benefit our environment but also the health of our staff, patients and local communities.”
Most recently, the trust signed a commitment alongside the North East Ambulance Service and Newcastle Hospitals to stop the idling of ambulances and vehicles after patient drop-off at the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital. The commitment aims to reduce the number of vehicles that leave their engines running whilst stationary and this has been introduced into staff and public car parks also.
Future projects planned in line with the trust’s net zero action plan include advancing waste management processes and expanding their ‘Net Zero Hero’ programme which is a group staff can join. Members are passionate about improving sustainability in the trust and want to reduce environmental impacts in their departments.
Media contact
Emily Lavin, marketing and communications officer
emily.lavin@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk