The NHS could, potentially, save up to £5.5 million a year if health organisations improve the way they dispose of waste, claims the Royal College of Nursing.
Using its Frontline First campaign, nursing staff have contacted the RCN to raise concerns that some health care organisations treat waste as infectious rather than offensive. The RCN submitted a Freedom of Information to investigate and the subsequent report confirmed this was the case. The RCN says that by incorrectly classifying waste as infectious, organisations were having to pay the high costs of incineration rather than lower-cost treatment at landfill, where municipal and offensive waste is sent. Commenting on the report, RCN chief executive & general secretary Dr Peter Carter said: “NHS organisations cannot afford to let these potential savings go up in smoke. Organisations must prioritise waste management and record offensive and infectious waste as separate waste streams. The survey results show that working together to reduce unnecessary costs could produce year on year savings to both the NHS and the environment.” The RCN is calling for more of a focus on efficiently managing waste and has made recommendations for improvement.
