April 16, 2026 - 148 views
The Emergency Department at Ysbyty Gwynedd has been recognised for its efforts to reduce its environmental impact after receiving Bronze accreditation through the Royal College of Emergency Medicine GreenED programme.
The national scheme supports emergency departments across the UK to lower their carbon footprint while maintaining high standards of patient care. Ysbyty Gwynedd is among a number of hospitals in Wales to be acknowledged in the latest round of awards.
Over the past year, staff at the Bangor-based hospital have introduced a range of initiatives aimed at embedding sustainability into everyday practice. Measures include reducing paper use, lowering computer brightness to cut electricity consumption, and adopting greener prescribing practices, such as switching from injectable to oral medications where clinically appropriate.
The department has also taken steps to cut emissions linked to staff travel by enabling more home working and moving teaching sessions and meetings online. Other changes include composting food waste, introducing reusable or recyclable cutlery and crockery, and reducing reliance on single-use plastics through measures such as plastic-free tea bags and recycling walking aids.
Where measured, the changes have already delivered an estimated annual saving of around 12,500 kgCO2e and £15,000, with further environmental benefits expected.
Dr Leesa Parkinson, Emergency Department Consultant who has led the project, said the accreditation reflects a collective effort across the department.
She said: “This accreditation reflects the collective effort of our entire team to make meaningful changes that reduce our environmental impact without compromising patient care.
“Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility, and it has been fantastic to see colleagues from across the department – including clinical, administrative, pharmacy and housekeeping teams – come together to support this work.
“While we are proud to have achieved Bronze status, this is just the beginning. There is still more we can do, and we are committed to continuing this journey and building on the progress we’ve made so far.”
The department is now exploring further improvements, including introducing paper tourniquets and medicine cups, reusable suture kits, and reducing unnecessary procedures such as cannulation and blood tests. Plans are also in place to expand the use of QR codes for patient information to further cut paper use.
Staff across all roles within the Emergency Department have contributed to the changes, reflecting a shared commitment to more sustainable healthcare for communities across North Wales.
