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University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

BU and University Hospitals Dorset work together for climate action

Bournemouth University (BU) and University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD) are working together on a range of sustainability issues. 

The BU-UHD Partnership aims to develop a culture of innovation, research and education across the workforce, and BU and UHD are working together for sustainability in multiple ways, for example: 

  • Students have been invited to take part in a University Hospital Dorset placement project to explore biodiversity and opportunities for nature-based solutions across the hospital.
  • BU is an active member of the UHD Sustainability Committee enabling collaboration and mutual support as UHD embeds its Green Plan.
  • UHD and BU are planning research to better understand and reduce patient travel for local imaging diagnostic services.
  • BU has shared the improvements it found to be most successful for encouraging active and sustainable travel directly to UHD.
  • Both BU and UHD have been invited to be part of a Dorset Anchor Institutions network to work on reducing health inequalities with members from Dorset Council, BCP Council and other health organisations.
  • The partnership enables Bournemouth University to build links between the BU Climate and Ecological Crisis Action Plan and UHD’s Green Plan.

Bournemouth University Sustainability Manager Lois Betts, said, “Both staff and students are working collaboratively to make University Hospitals Dorset more sustainable. We want to work closely so that students learn about how they can address the climate and ecological crisis whilst they are students, and then continue this behaviour in their careers with the NHS.

“Our strategic alignment around core issues of carbon reduction of buildings, staff engagement, sustainable travel and nature-based solutions enables us to make it easier for staff and students to make sustainable choices. Through research collaboration and placement support from the Hospital, together we can make a big difference to both our combined sustainability impacts.”

Stuart Lane who studied MSC Carbon Management at Bournemouth University is now the Sustainability and Carbon Manager at UHD. He added, “UHD’s strategic partnership with BU has paved the way for an even closer working relationship between the sustainability teams and is revealing a stream of exciting opportunities to support each other towards our sustainability goals. These will not just reduce the negative impacts of our operations but enhance our ability to provide positive impacts for our staff, wider community, the local environment and beyond.

“Most recently, staff from BU and UHD met to define a new research project which aims to better understand and reduce patient travel for local imaging diagnostic services. This is one project of many that will progress our efforts to reduce carbon footprint, air pollution and its health impacts, and provide services that are more equitable and less disruptive for patients.”

For more information about the partnership between BU and University Hospitals Dorset, visit https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/collaborate/university-hospitals-dorset or for more information about sustainability at BU, visit https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/sustainability.

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