Ruth Innes

Ruth Innes is the Sustainability Manager – Waste and Resource Efficiency at NHSScotland Assure, a team within NHS National Services Scotland. Her expertise lies in waste management, and she started her career in this field at NHS Highland before joining NHSScotland Assure.

In her role, Innes supports health boards across NHSScotland by providing guidance and training on best practices in waste management, emphasizing proper waste segregation for environmental and financial benefits. She has spoken at events for the dental community, covering ways to improve waste segregation and explaining its importance in meeting regulatory responsibilities and reducing environmental impact.

NHS Scotland is committed to reducing its environmental impact and achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. The Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland developed the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026, outlining five priority areas: sustainable buildings and land, sustainable travel, sustainable goods and services, sustainable care, and sustainable communities. Health boards are required to publish annual reports detailing their progress towards these goals.