Moving towards net zero through digital 

Moving towards net zero through digital 
Moving towards net zero through digital 
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How to apply

Entries are now closed

Environmental sustainability has been moving up the priority list within healthcare, with increased awareness of climate change and impacts on public health, and more recently a target of reaching net zero across the NHS. However, current estimates of the NHS’ supply chain suggest ICT is responsible for 456Kt of carbon emissions, and the rapid growth of data demand and digital equipment has potential to add to these emissions further in future years.

Fortunately, digital can also be the solution to some of these issues. Remote monitoring technologies are estimated over the 3 years from November 2021 to reduce patient travel by 28 million miles (approx. 6000 tonnes of carbon) – just one of the ways NHS organisations are digitally innovating to align with the net zero mission. Further opportunities exist across digitising estates, virtual consultations, migrating data centres into the cloud and many more.

This award will go to an organisation or project which has leveraged digital products or services to reduce environmental impact in one or more areas. Judges will be looking for projects truly embedded within the organisation or system’s Green Plan, that will enable long-term change.

Eligibility

  • All NHS organisations (including providers, partnerships and systems), General Practice and primary care organisations
  • Evidence must relate to a project, ongoing or completed within the 2 years up until the award entry deadline

Ambition

  • Describe the biggest environmental challenges your organisation or health system faces, and how this project will help alleviate them
  • Explain the project aims and what strategic thinking was done before bringing technology to the table – why was a digital solution required?
  • Define the intended measures of success, and include detail on the benchmarks used

Outcome

  • Describe how the project was seamlessly developed and deployed whilst retaining any existing services to minimise disruption to patients and staff
  • Evidence with supporting information the performance of the project against targets, including any financial, environmental, on-time delivery, clinical and energy metrics
  • Share how sustainability principles have been embedded within the organisation or system’s digital processes and policies

Value

  • Evidence the overall environmental impact achieved so far
  • Discuss how this digital project has provided a boost to the wider vision for sustainable development within your organisation/system, and how it will achieve lasting impact
  • Share with supporting evidence any beneficial impacts on staff or patients as a result of the project. This could be quantitative or qualitative.

Involvement

  • Describe and provide testimonial evidence of the working relationship between the technology partner (if relevant) and the NHS organisation that enabled a genuinely co-produced product or service
  • Share how staff were engaged across multiple functions and departments to work towards the net zero vision on this project, and how successfully they adopted the new product or service
  • Explain how patients, service users or the community were involved in the design, planning and implementation of this project and other green initiatives

Spread

  • Describe and if possible evidence how the learnings from the project have been shared across or beyond your organisation/system
  • Evidence how sustainable digital development is becoming business as usual across the organisation or system
  • Discuss the scope for further replication or scaling up of this project in other settings

To find out more

Entries, attendance and sponsorship enquiries, contact Faysal Chaudhry   020 3510 7110
Media and marketing enquiries, contact Rebecca Bright 0207 608 9056
Judging and event management, contact Awards Support 0207 608 9086