Surgeons are well-placed to be advocates for change in driving sustainable practices forward within the healthcare sector. However, patient safety remains paramount in any move towards achieving net zero.
These were the takeaway messages from a webinar on ‘Sustainability in Surgery’.
The event, hosted by Surgery International in collaboration with The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, JAV Medical and Orascoptic, was the latest in the Talk Surgery series of webinars. It covered many vital points that underscored the urgency of integrating sustainability into surgical practices.
The session was Chaired by Tim Lane, Consultant Urologist and Robotic surgeon at Lister Hospital, Stevenage, UK and Surgery International Editor-in-Chief.
The panel of experts assembled for the webinar included:
- Professor Shafi Ahmed, known for his pioneering work in medical education and Surgery International Medical Director.
- Lucinda Cruddas, a vascular specialty registrar in London, UK.
- Aneel Bhangu, Professor of Global Surgery and a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, who is dedicated to improving surgical care and outcomes globally.
- Addie MacGregor, sustainability manager at the Association of British Healthcare Industries.
- Dr Ingo Aicher, MD of JAV Medical, a leading medical technology company specialising in innovative healthcare solutions.
Together, they delved into the role sustainable practices play in shaping the trajectory of surgery and healthcare, considering the planet's pivotal point and the need to place patient safety at the heart of any progress.
With figures showing that up to 70% of the total hospital waste is from surgical operating rooms, Professor Shafi Ahmed warned: ‘By 2040, if the temperature continues to rise, as of the moment, there’s evidence from WHO, there will be 125 million more people with health issues due to dehydration, heat stroke and cardiovascular disease. Also, of course, an increase in pollution leads to an increase in respiratory disease. And with that, there will be more natural disasters, so there will be more trauma for us to deal with as surgeons. The impact will be overwhelming if we don’t adjust and manage this rise in global temperature and think about climate change and sustainability. Also, it is predicted there will be a 53.7% increase in mortality just due to heat by 2040 in over 65-year-olds. So, that will be a huge burden of problems for the healthcare systems to adjust to. That’s why it’s important we do our bit.’
Calling for ‘bold measures’, Aneel Bhangu urged the global surgical community to effect change within their own environments.
‘As a network of surgeons, we have a unique opportunity because we are in virtually every major hospital. Surgeons tend to be relatively permanent fixtures in hospitals, and in low-middle income countries, for example, they can easily reach the management. So, there are agents for changes. One of our missions is to see the surgeons in these hospitals lead the mission to install clean and reliable energy because you can’t operate without energy. We can be agents for change and push the agenda for solar installation.’
Speaking about her role as a sustainability champion with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Lucinda Cruddas echoed the sentiment for collaboration, whilst noting the importance of solid leadership.
‘Leadership is one of the most important factors going forward. And that can be top-down or bottom-up. One of the significant things you come up against as a sustainability champion is a lot of resistance to making change. You can create presentations in your department and your hospital, and it’s tough sometimes to translate that into a change in behaviours. The idea of the champions is to share ideas and experiences so that you can take those back to your hospital and try to progress toward those changes. Then, it creates a network. It adds some unity to the sustainability fight, which sometimes feels fragmented.’
Addie Macgregor led the audience through the UK’s NHS net zero supplier roadmap, explaining that companies must deliver on sustainable promises. Adherence to a specific roadmap is imperative if you're a supplier to the NHS.
She said: ‘If you're now supplying to the NHS supply chain, about 60% of all things procured for the NHS in England go through this. You must also complete the Evergreen assessment, an extensive tool that asks organisations what they do beyond the mandatory ask. It’s more than collecting information about what organisations are doing; it is also about how they can work collaboratively to move forward. So, all organisations should measure their carbon emissions in-house and commit to what they will do over the next few years to change and reduce it.’
Touching upon the need to protect patient interests, Dr Ingo Aicher added: ‘There’s a lot involved in supply chain optimisation and things that you can do, but it varies in terms of the products you produce. If you’re directly involved in surgery and use inpatient or indirect contact products in open surgery with the patient, compromising there is different because patient safety is the primary driver here.’
The event attracted a diverse audience eager to explore the multifaceted realms of sustainability within the field of surgery.
Along with a strong emphasis on collaboration, innovation and regulatory compliance were also considered essential components in achieving meaningful progress.
Speakers discussed the various challenges the health tech industry faces, including limited resources. Suggestions were made for immediate actions, such as optimising supply chains and challenging major industry players to invest in sustainable solutions.
Other key points discussed included:
- The focus on healthcare costs, system resilience and environmental stewardship.
- How climate change impacts health and surgery practices worldwide, contributing significantly to carbon footprints.
- How some organisations are declaring climate emergencies and pledging support.
- The disproportionate impact on developing countries and how actions in advanced systems affect vulnerable populations globally.
- Factors contributing to high carbon footprint in surgery include energy use, waste generation and supply chains.
- How change requires individual and team actions – and surgeons can make immediate changes in materials, waste reduction and decision-making.
- How an understanding of behavioural theories is critical to sustainable practices.
- The need to focus on prevention, public health and reducing unnecessary surgeries.
- That global disparities in access to surgical care exist, and we need to address access while incorporating sustainability principles.
- How we need to measure the impact of carbon footprint, with various methodologies discussed.
- How implementing small changes can make a difference, with an emphasis on incremental changes in care pathways.
- Looked at various initiatives for sustainability, including recycling, waste reduction, and renewable energy use.
- The panel compared and contrasted strategies in different healthcare systems and discussed the role of renewable sources like solar power.
Whilst it was acknowledged that meeting sustainability regulations requires a steep learning curve and multiple challenges, there is a growing commitment to sustainability goals globally.
Watch again here
To book for the next in the series of Talk Surgery webinars, Digitizing The Operating Room, taking place on 18 April, click here.
Surgical International, the leading global hub for surgical news, presented its second ground-breaking webinar – Sustainability in Surgery – in collaboration with The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, JAV Medical, and Orascoptic.
Continuing Surgery International’s commitment to exploring the multifaceted realms of surgery, this event shinned a spotlight on the pivotal role sustainable practices play in shaping the field’s trajectory.
