ENT UK Statement: Sustainable Healthcare In ENT

11 April 2023

ENT UK recognises the need for health organisations to show leadership and take steps to mitigate climate change.  We have committed to lead activity in relation to sustainability in ENT and Head and Neck healthcare to influence behaviour change in our new Strategy ‘Inspiring Excellence and Shaping the Future’. 

We are supporting the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change’s Green Surgery Project and working in collaboration with the UK Surgical Royal Colleges who have made a climate emergency declaration accepting their duty to provide leadership and guidance among the surgical community in tackling the environmental impact of surgical care.  

There are many opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint, including promoting a circular economy for the products we use, deprescribing, eliminating inappropriate use of gloves and using remote consultation where appropriate.  As a starting point, we want to address the areas which are most relevant to ENT and Head and Neck healthcare where we can have impact.  These are suction, flexible nasal endoscopy and outpatient instruments.

We plan to develop and publish guidelines on these areas to give our members confidence in taking decisions that are best for their patients and the planet.  These guidelines will be evidence-based and endorsed by relevant partners such as Infection Control.  We hope these guidelines will support members to introduce changes in their departments and encourage other specialities to integrate sustainable practices in their delivery of care.