Health Secretary Neil Gray MSP visited NHS Golden Jubilee today to learn about its pioneering work on the National Green Theatres Programme and its commitment to becoming Scotland’s greenest hospital.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery’s National Green Theatres Programme is a key initiative supporting NHS Scotland’s mission meet net zero targets by reducing the environmental impact of surgical theatres.

A major milestone was achieved with the successful removal of Desflurane from the NHS Scotland supply chain.

Building on this success, the programme published 10 actions for implementation in the last year that will save 20,000 tonnes of CO2, with a projected green dividend financial saving of £6.8m.

The Green Theatres team is also working with NHS Scotland Assure and Scottish Government colleagues to set up trials of reusable gowns – with 1 estimated to be the equivalent of 70 single use gowns.

The Golden Jubilee University National Hospital is already making great strides towards becoming the greenest hospital in the country.

During a recent 5-month trial, Orthopaedic surgeons reduced the carbon costs associated with robotic-assisted total knee replacement surgery by 0.39kg per case by moving 16 rarely used instruments to a standby conversion tray.

In addition, staff at the Golden Jubilee will soon begin testing reusable theatre caps made from Lyocell, an eco-friendly material derived from dissolved pulp. These caps are designed to phase out single-use plastic alternatives whilst offering enhanced comfort, functionality and safety.