Introduction
Across health care, goods and services are a major financial expense and can carry a high environmental impact. Procurement is at least £32 billion in England – or 17% of total NHS spending. Goods which are bought are then consumed before becoming waste.
Sustainable procurement is an aspect of preventative medicine. It can reduce the environmental impact of delivering high quality healthcare and protect planetary health. Poor planetary health (lack of clean water or clean air, depletion of nature etc) causes harm to the health of humans.
Sustainable procurement can also improve the social value of healthcare by procuring from ethical and/or local suppliers.
The General Practice Green Procurement strategy is a comprehensive resource designed to help GP practices understand why and how they can ensure the procurement of goods and services required to delivery high quality healthcare can be done to minimise environmental harm.
This strategy outlines key policies and benefits, offers approaches and implementable actions for practices and personnel.
It covers the principles and expectations, how to audit current procurement practice, how to identify high impact opportunities and has free to use action plans for goods and services.
The free strategy can be used by your practice to develop their own bespoke Practice Guide, so you can set your plan for your practice and staff.
Alternatively, SEE Sustainability can be commissioned to work with you to create your very own Practice Guide - putting your principles into practice.
Help your staff to procure the goods and services needed to deliver the best healthcare possible in an environmental and socially responsible manner.