Pilot to reduce carbon emissions set to begin at King’s Mill Hospital

A pilot project that aims to reduce carbon emissions and save thousands of pounds, is due to start at King’s Mill Hospital.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity has bought 20 CoolSticks – a reusable metal stick that is used to produce a cold sensation on a patient’s skin to test whether an epidural or spinal block is working.

The Trust currently uses more than 670 cans of ethyl chloride each year for the same purpose - at a cost of £13,400. The gases can remain in the environment for up to two months and there is a large carbon footprint involved in the production, use and destruction of the can.

The CoolSticks, which cost a total of £1,620, are designed to last for years. They are stored in the fridge to keep them cold and they are easy to clean for infection control purposes.

The project will start in Obstetrics and Gynaecology theatres and Ward 31, and if successful, will be rolled out to other departments including Orthopaedic and Colorectal theatres, and Wards 14 and 32.

The trial is being led by Debs Kerry, Sustainability Fellow, who is supporting the Trust and the Integrated Care System (ICS) to implement its green plan and reduce carbon emissions to move towards achieving the target of a net zero NHS by 2040.

Debs said: “Several Trusts across the country have already swapped to CoolSticks following overwhelmingly positive feedback in trials. We’re very grateful to the charity for providing funds to purchase the coolsticks. It won’t be very long before they pay for themselves - over a five-year period, the Trust could save more than £60,000, in addition to saving carbon emissions.”

The Trust is also working hard on other sustainability projects, including the launch of a walking aid return and reuse project. This reduced the carbon emissions from walking aids by over 9,500kg in its first six months.

For further information about the work of the Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity, please contact the Community Involvement Department on 01623 676011 or visit Sherwood Forest Hospitals Foundation Trust (sfh-tr.nhs.uk).

Pictured holding a CoolStick are: Debs Kerry, Climate Action Fellow; Louise Staves, Pain Nurse Specialist; Paris Wallace, Ward Sister, Sharon Leveridge-Williams, Housekeeper; Nicola Moody, Pain Nurse Specialist, and Zoe Statham, Healthcare Assistant.