NHS Sustainable Development Policy has been developed to ensure that existing healthcare services and facilities, together with planned and future capital investment into the NHS include sustainable development practices, processes and products.

The White Paper ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’ (2006), has established a community focused direction for the NHS and healthcare services. Policy, whole life capital costs and wider environmental awareness has highlighted that sustainable development matters to all those involved in the provision and delivery of healthcare services and to all those who are impacted by those services. Effective sustainable development ensures: optimal use of finances; efficient use of human and physical resources to deliver healthcare services; effective integration within the communities they serve.
Policy makers have realised the need to embed sustainable development in order to achieve both fitness for purpose and whole-life cost efficiencies that deliver value for money. Particular focus has been given to the procurement and design processes, as these are critical in both establishing and managing these capital investments

Focussing on sustainable healthcare buildings, this module reviews: the NHS Plan (2000); the White Paper ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’ (2006); the Environmental Strategy for the NHS (2005); the Department of Health’s Sustainable Development Action Plan 2006 and the Health Energy Targets to develop guidance for trusts and healthcare organisations.

Contents:

1 Introduction
2 Sustainable Development and Healthcare
3 Procurement
4 Design and Construction
5 Other guidance documents
Annex 1: A Quick Guide to the Key Environmental Priority Areas
Annex 2: Additional Environmental Management System (EMS) Information
Annex 3: Procurement routes