North East NHS Trust Leads the Way in Cutting Carbon Emissions and Driving Sustainable Healthcare
Members of the Darlington Employers Environmental Partnership (DEEP) were given an inspiring insight into how the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) is making significant strides toward reducing carbon emissions and advancing the NHS’s net zero ambitions.
The DEEP network, launched in May 2023, now boasts more than 50 local employers committed to sharing expertise and best practices around sustainability and climate action. At the latest ‘Network and Learn’ event, held at Darlington Memorial Hospital, members learned how CDDFT has cut emissions by 17% since 2019—surpassing the national average—with initiatives that not only protect the environment but also enhance patient care and deliver cost savings reinvested into healthcare services.
Rob Macdiarmid, Chair of DEEP and Head of ESG at Darlington-based global mobility provider ZIGUP, described the event as “a fascinating insight into the progress being made by our local NHS trust. Projects are improving sustainability, enhancing patient outcomes, and cutting costs that can be reinvested in vital care.”
Chris McEwan, Deputy Leader of Darlington Borough Council, highlighted the broader impact: “This demonstrates that one of the borough’s largest employers is taking sustainability seriously—not just for climate action, but to improve patient safety, reduce costs, and reinvest in local healthcare.”
The trust provides care for 650,000 residents, employing around 8,000 staff across eight hospitals, including Darlington Memorial Hospital, University Hospital of North Durham, Bishop Auckland General Hospital, and community hospitals at Shotley Bridge, Sedgefield, Weardale, and Barnard Castle.
Under the Health and Care Act 2022, all NHS trusts are legally required to implement a Green Plan to reduce emissions, with national targets of net zero for direct emissions by 2040 and for indirect emissions, including supply chains, by 2045. CDDFT has emerged as a front-runner in achieving these targets.
Dr Cathy Lawson, clinical sustainability lead and consultant in anaesthetics and critical care, said: “We are acutely aware that healthcare impacts the planet, and we have a duty to make a difference for future generations.”
The trust has partnered with Philips, a global leader in health technology, to reduce clinical waste and carbon emissions in its intensive care unit—believed to be the first such collaboration between a global company and an NHS trust. Additional sustainability initiatives include:
- Increasing reusable gowns post-Covid to80% of usage.
- Eliminating100,000 single-use theatre caps, saving £13,500 annually.
- Introducing reusable “sharps boxes” in partnership with Sharpsmart, cutting25 tonnes of single-use plastic and 140 tonnes of CO₂ emissions
- Reusing returned ward medicines, reducing emissions by185 tonnes and saving £300,000.
- Transitioning13 out of 24 fleet vans to electric and installing a 100kWp solar array at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
- Implementing air-source heat pumps at Memorial Hall and exploring ahydrogen-powered energy hub in collaboration with Durham University.
Sam Goss, sustainability lead at CDDFT, added: “Our initiatives deliver patient, cost, and carbon benefits, but sustainability must become part of everyone’s daily practice. Embedding it across the trust ensures we meet both NHS net zero targets and the needs of our patients.”
Through these innovative measures, CDDFT is not only reducing its environmental impact but also demonstrating how sustainable healthcare practices can drive efficiency, improve outcomes, and inspire other NHS trusts across the UK.
