**London**: The Labour Party is set to announce its NHS 10-year strategy, emphasising illness prevention and digital transformation. Key initiatives include reducing waiting times and embracing second-life IT practices in a bid to enhance financial and environmental sustainability within the beleaguered health service.
This spring, the Labour Party is set to release its long-awaited 10-year strategy for the National Health Service (NHS), with a strong emphasis on illness prevention, localised care, and digital transformation. This initiative is regarded as a significant step that could influence the trajectory of both the NHS, which has been a cornerstone of British public service since its inception, and the political fortunes of the Labour Party itself.
Wes Streeting, the shadow health minister, has articulated a vision prioritising the reduction of waiting times, the integration of cutting-edge digital technologies, and the engagement of the private sector to inject innovation into the beleaguered health system. Concurrently, the NHS has set ambitious environmental sustainability targets, aspiring to be the world’s first net-zero national health service by the year 2040. The aim is to achieve an 80% reduction in emissions within its direct control by the period between 2028 and 2032.
As government officials and health ministers work to meet these formidable challenges, sustainable IT practices are emerging as vital components of the NHS’s strategy. The NHS’s serious commitment to sustainability is evidenced by current practices aimed at minimising waste and optimising resources, particularly the reuse and remanufacturing of medical devices. Each year, the NHS generates approximately 156,000 tonnes of clinical waste, a figure comparable to the weight of over 400 jumbo jets.
Noteworthy improvements in financial management have already been achieved by certain health trusts. For instance, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust successfully saved £100,000 by opting for remanufactured catheters and selling off used devices. These initiatives suggest that if similar practices are replicated throughout the UK, substantial financial savings could be realised, particularly in the procurement of heart test-related catheters. The NHS’s waste reduction efforts are further underscored by the significant carbon savings resulting from the reuse of walking aids, with a potential annual saving of nearly £50,000 for a typical UK hospital by returning two out of every five walking aids.
The NHS’s environmental footprint is not limited to medical devices. The service contributes to 4% of England’s total carbon emissions, prompting calls for a comprehensive approach towards achieving a net-zero environment across all operations.
In this context, the untapped potential of the NHS’s IT infrastructure emerges as a key area for improvement. Historical purchasing practices have seen health trusts favour new IT equipment over extending the lifecycle of their existing devices. Data from Freedom of Information requests reveal that between 2013 and 2017, NHS Trusts incurred costs of £260 million for 401,084 new PCs, averaging £650.54 each. More recently, spending on ICT-related services surged to £3.24 billion in 2020-2021, marking a 33% increase from the previous year. Notably, last October’s budget announcement included over £2 billion earmarked for NHS technology and digital transformation by 2025/26.
However, the current policy of procuring new devices poses significant financial and environmental burdens, with each new laptop contributing approximately 331 kg of carbon emissions during production. Advocates argue that adopting a model prioritising the reuse of IT equipment similar to those applied in medical devices could foster immense savings for the NHS without compromising performance. Remanufactured laptops, for instance, offer a cost reduction of 40% compared to new devices and come with BSI Kitemark certification ensuring that they perform “equal to or better than new”.
Evidence supporting the efficacy of second-life technology is already available. A third of the ambulance service in England has benefited from remanufactured devices supplied by Circular Computing, and King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust achieved reductions of 126.4 tonnes in carbon emissions and saved 76 million litres of water over an 18-month period after adopting similar hardware.
As the Labour Party prepares to unveil its NHS 10-year strategy, the utilisation of second-life IT equipment presents a strategic advantage for Wes Streeting as he seeks to align sustainability goals with the imperatives of delivering value for money within the NHS framework. The implications of these choices and the future direction of the NHS will undoubtedly be areas of keen interest in the coming months.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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