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Abstract: PUB348

Global Climate Crisis: Are We Addressing This? Environmental Sustainability in the Transplantation UK Group

Session Information

Category: Transplantation

  • 2102 Transplantation: Clinical

Authors

  • Montero, Rosa M., St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, United Kingdom
  • Welberry Smith, Matthew, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, England, United Kingdom
  • O'Callaghan, John M, University Hospital Coventry, Coventry, England, United Kingdom
  • Barton, Laura, NHS Blood and Transplant, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
  • Scuffell, Carrie, NHS Blood and Transplant, Newcastle, England, United Kingdom
  • Harber, Mark, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, United Kingdom
  • Smilevska, Rumyana, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, England, United Kingdom
  • Mortimer, Frances, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, Oxford, England, United Kingdom
  • Copley, Hannah Charlotte, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
  • Denison, Clare, NHS Blood and Transplant, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
  • Donnelly, Mhairi C, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
  • Thompson, Emily, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
  • Craven, Eleanor B, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
  • Manas, Derek Michael, NHS Blood and Transplant, Bristol, England, United Kingdom

Group or Team Name

  • Environmental Sustainability in Transplantation (ESIT) Group.
Background

The global climate emergency requires action now. 4-5% of greenhouse gas emissions are from healthcare. Kidney disease, dialysis & organ transplantation all use significant resources generating waste with 2M tonnes/yr from haemodialysis alone. Organ donation saves lives & is financially viable using less resource overall vs. dialysis. Nonetheless waste is generated through work-up/retrieval/intra-operatively (eg. single use items/plastics) & follow-up. The Organ & Tissue Donation & Transplantation(OTDT) directorate of NHS Blood & Transplant(NHSBT) responded by creating the Environmental Sustainability In Transplantation(ESIT) group.

Methods

Multidisciplinary specialty ESIT membership spans healthcare professional groups & organ types encompassing transplant pathways (donation/retrieval/transplantation/long-term care). Within ESIT there is representation from British Transplant Society, Centre of Sustainable Healthcare, UK Kidney Association & NHSBT professionals working towards net-zero.

Results

ESIT formally integrated into the OTDT Clinical team July 2024 producing a ‘Top Tips on making transplantation Green in your unit’ guide to facilitate immediate actions for UK transplant centres disseminated by NHSBT newsletters & available online1. ESIT provided consultative support to the Assessment & Recovery Centres Spending review 2024 bid & a NHSBT Transport Taskforce. ESITs next key priorities are: embedding sustainable practice reducing environmental impact, developing & reporting environmental self-scoring dashboard metrics for transplant units via NHSBT & analysis of clinical pathways. ESIT is in partnership with the European Society Of Transplantation(ESOT) supporting ESOT2025 Action Day.

Conclusion

To effectively address the global climate crisis our community must make sustainable changes at pace that can be achieved through collaboration across societies. ESIT aims to change lives through green transplantation. Coordinated collaborative international efforts will facilitate making impactful changes globally safeguarding our patients and futures.
https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/33713/top-tips-on-making-transplantation-green-in-your-unit.pdf

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)