Excellence in sustainability reporting
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised for excellent sustainability reporting as part of their annual report.
The Trust has received a certificate of excellence for their sustainability reporting, awarded by the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU), NHS Improvement and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
The SDU, which works across the health and care sector on behalf of NHS England and Public Health England, conducted an analysis of all provider and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) annual reports to evaluate sustainability sections. 55 trusts and 42 CCGs (around 22%) have been selected for recognition out of 432 organisations across England.
High quality reporting on sustainability is recognised as a fundamental way in which organisations can demonstrate their commitment to embedding environmental, social and financial sustainability.
Good sustainability reporting is widely recognised as including the following areas:
- Leadership and engagement – Board level, staff and community
- Resources – such as energy, water and waste
- Travel – including staff travel, patient transport, business travel
- Procurement – including local, community and ethical procurement
- Adaptation and transformation
- New models of care.
You can read both the Trust’s Sustainability Report and long term Sustainable Development Management Plan here.
The NHS Long Term Plan further strengthens the commitment of the NHS as a system leader in embedding sustainable development across the organisation. The LTP set clear targets for sustainability; carbon, air pollution and a mandate to in particular, reduce wastage and over reliance on single use plastics.
The SDU have produced best practice examples for both CCGs and providers which can be found in the reporting section of the SDU website.
www.sduhealth.org.uk/reporting
Annual Sustainability Reporting is mandated for CCGs and Trusts through the Department of Health and Social Care Group Accounting Manual (DHSC GAM), the Foundation Trust Annual Reporting Manual (FT ARM), and also from Arm’s Length Bodies through the Greening Government Commitments. Along with a regularly updated Sustainable Development Management Plan, annual reporting on sustainability is mandated by the NHS Standard Contract (Service Condition 18).
The HFMA have an active interest in the quality of sustainability reporting and recently published guidance to support good sustainability reporting:
About the SDU
The Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) help organisations to embed and promote sustainable development in order to reduce emissions, save money and improve the health of people and communities. The SDU is funded by, and accountable to, NHS England and Public Health England to work across the NHS, public health and social care system.