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Clinical Skills Sustainability Project

Even though it is not clinically infective, waste generated from clinical skills education sessions is currently categorised as clinical waste for incineration. This results in higher environmental and financial costs.

The Clinical Skills Sustainability Project seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of clinical skills education across the Health Faculties (the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care and the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine) where nursing, midwifery, medical and physiotherapy students receive education.

The project aims to reduce waste by 25% over the next year through recycling, reusing and finding alternative disposal methods for waste generated from clinical skills sessions. By diverting them from being incinerated in the same way as clinically infective materials, the project aims to lower carbon emissions and costs, increase sustainability awareness among students, academic and NHS staff, and create models for use in other educational and clinical settings across the UK and internationally.

"The team are delighted to receive this fund and hope that the impact of this project on education and the planet will be transformative." - Dola Akanmu, Technical Manager, Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care. 

Partners and Collaborators

The key to this project's success is the network of multidisciplinary partners from across and beyond King's, working together to maximise impact.

Find out more about the project partners:

Impact

The One King's Impact Fund is supporting the projects aims of:

  • Reducing the impact of clinical skills training on the environment by decreasing clinical waste at King’s by 25% over the next year, including an associated reduction in the amount of resource use and an increase in recycling of paper and card waste, and reuse of clean and dry items within other skills teaching sessions.
  • Supporting King’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan goals.
  • Improving sustainable practices in healthcare services by increasing staff and student knowledge, including developing leaders to champion change in clinical organisations and educating the next generation of healthcare professionals
  • Supporting the wider aim of the National Health Service (NHS) and healthcare workforce to create a Net Zero Healthcare system by practicing sustainably and with consideration of finite resources.
  • Sharing learnings with other Higher Education institutions and hospitals across the UK and internationally, including applicable clinical skills training organisations and centres.
 

This project is supported by the One King’s Impact Fund.

The One King's Impact Fund is part of One King’s Impact, King’s strategic programme to support and accelerate work within and beyond the University which creates positive change for people, planet and society.

The Clinical Skills Sustainability Project responds to the following King's Impact Priorities:

 A thriving and sustainable planet | Whole life health for mind and body

Project status: Ongoing

Principal Investigators

Investigators

Funding

Funding Body: One King’s Impact Fund

Amount: £26,372.50

Period: August 2024 - August 2025