Supporting the Sustainability Agenda: Update for Members
Since the publication of the NHS report Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service, there has been a palpable increase in activity across the NHS on how they plan to deliver on the commitments. It is fair to say that a significant amount of their focus is on how their suppliers, you, will help them deliver on their Scope 3 commitment: “All other indirect emissions that occur in producing and transporting goods and services, including the full supply chain”.
The NHS has commenced engagement with suppliers, both nationally and locally, predominantly through procurement. Through the NHS Supplier Sustainability Forum that is led by the NHS England/Improvement (NHS E/I) commercial team, suppliers have been asked to respond to the NHS sustainability survey to assess the current status of sustainability targets and actions. I also shared this questionnaire with members when it was live.
It is NHS E/I’s intention to ask suppliers to meet specific carbon reduction commitments, and an ‘Evergreen Framework’ is being developed (draft framework as of 16th September) to rank supplier sustainability achievements. The NHS E/I team have engaged with suppliers and trade bodies, with Lottie McMahon and I representing ABHI, through the Forum to consult on the asks and the Framework. We have provided feedback on both during formal meetings and in a series of one-on-one engagements with the ‘NHS Greener’ team, and the NHS E /I commercial team. Those of you who attended this month’s ABHI Conference “Procuring for Outcomes in an Evolving NHS” will have seen their latest proposals, and more information is contained within the recent NHS Engalnd Board paper, available here.
Beyond the discussions about what suppliers can do to support the NHS in meeting its ambition, we have continued to point out the role that technology plays in changing patient pathways, and in delivering care differently to reduce the overall carbon footprint of that care. That includes examples where technology reduces the length of stay, and therefore the overall consumption of resources, or where it enables patients to be treated away from hospitals and clinics, thus reducing the need for travel, to name but a couple of ways technology supports the drive to net zero. These points are recognised by the NHS, and they say that they are definitely part of the considerations.
In addition, Lord David Prior, NHS England’s Chair, and NHS Greener’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr Nick Watts, have convened an International Leadership Group for a Net Zero NHS. It is comprised of a number of well recognised (although not all immediately associated with health) companies, as well as ABHI and ABPI. The intention is to discuss what is being done already by companies, to demonstrate the leadership in this area by suppliers to the NHS, and to show how the NHS is leading the way ahead of COP26. We expect the Group to publish a letter, aligned timing wise to COP26, signing up to meeting the NHS‘s ambitions. We will of course ensure that any commitments made in that letter are realistic and reflect what you have been telling us. If you are interested in understanding more on this, please do contact me.
Now, on to the practicalities, and there are some very important immediate sustainability activities. Those of you involved in the Value & Access, Legal Issues & Compliance and Sustainability Groups will have seen the draft proposed amendments to the NHS Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) to include the sustainability requirements. This is the mechanism through which NHS E/I will drive suppliers to meet their targets. ABHI will be responding with comments about the proposed T&Cs to ensure they are fair, reasonable and, crucially, have no unintended consequences.
I know that many of you are now receiving requests to respond to tenders with significant and variable information about your own sustainability plans and targets. We recognise that this is requiring a lot of time and energy and have raised such concerns with NHS E/I, and was flagged directly to Lord David Prior who attended the ABHI Board of Directors meeting last week. We have asked that this be addressed and we are in process of arranging a meeting between NHS E/I commercial’s team and NHS Supply Chain, as well as members of our Board, to co-create a unified approach to tender requirements.
ABHI recognises the enormity of the task ahead, and indeed sustainability is one of the priority areas identified by our Board of Directors, with this challenge being led by Annemarie van Neck, Senior Vice President UK & Ireland, Coloplast. As a demonstration of their commitment to this, the Board has agreed to financially support a programme of work to deliver a complete framework that will provide ABHI with sustainability guidance, and an action plan for you, our members. The output will advise on HealthTech environmental sustainability needs, as well as identify, and help resolve, challenges that are particular to individual organisations.
I will continue to provide you with updates on our progress, but if you wish to be even more closely involved and join the ABHI Sustainability Group, please do get in touch with Lottie. The Group next meets on 7th October.
