With environmental goals at trust and NHS level, there are different areas of healthcare to address. Waste from medical equipment is one area to look at.
Medical equipment waste is a big issue in healthcare. Sustainability in medical equipment is important as it ties in with wider goals of environmental responsibility, economic efficiency, and social well-being. This is important with the NHS’s net zero target and sustainability goals at trust and national level.
There are many ways to improve the sustainability of medical devices, starting with the materials they are made with. This could be materials that are biodegradable or products that are made from recycled plastics. This applies to the material the equipment itself is made out of, as well as the packaging.
Equipment should not automatically be designed to be thrown away in full when one part comes to the end of its life cycle. Individual parts can be replaced to increase lifespan.
Product design
At the end of a product’s lifecycle, equipment should be designed to be recycled, and easily disassembled so the recyclable and reusable components can easily be separated to be reused again.
Durability is an important factor – products should be created for longevity, to reduce the turnover of new equipment.
With electric equipment, it should be designed to be as energy efficient as possible, this could be using energy-efficient components, optimising designs for minimal energy consumption, and incorporating features like auto-shutdown when not in use.
Those that work in the NHS can play a part too, by working sustainability into procurement. Put sustainability weightings into tenders and work with suppliers to reduce transportation emissions and minimise waste throughout the supply chain.
Carry out life cycle assessments to work out the environmental impact of medical equipment from material extraction to disposal. This data can be used to identify areas for improvement and make informed design decisions.
You can also consider agreements where manufacturers take back spent materials at the end of the lifetime, so they can be reused and recycled appropriately.
Sustainable medical technology
The Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) in Scotland has been awarded over three million to investigate sustainable medical technology. The centre said the funds would be used to expand research into durable and degradable polymers for devices.
The Edinburgh-based group, a collaboration between Heriot Watt University, The University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Dundee and RGU Aberdeen, has been awarded the money by Scottish Enterprise.
The money will be used to address current challenges facing organisations like the NHS, exploring the inclusion and development of degradable or reusable polymers. The polymers are designed to have reduced environmental impact, and using them could help to make medical device manufacturing more sustainable.
There will also be work carried out on the real-time evaluation of the carbon footprint of manufacturing processes and the safer removal of greenhouse gases in the NHS.
Then wellbeing economy secretary Neil Gray said: “This funding will not only drive innovation across the healthcare landscape, but help produce more sustainable medical devices as we continue our transition to net zero.
“Having previously supported the MDMC through the Scottish Government’s Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund, it is fantastic to see these state-of-the-art facilities continuing to encourage collaborative working.
“Innovation is a priority, and the National Innovation Strategy sets out plans to drive up our performance and compete with the best in the world over the next decade.”
Professor Marc Desmulliez, manager of the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) based at Heriot-Watt University said: “This significant funding from Scottish Enterprise will enable us to continue to support and elevate Scottish medical device innovation, creating new and ground-breaking medical devices with global impact.
“Scotland is brimming with entrepreneurs, but they need access to the right resources, facilities, and expertise at the right time to bring their products to market and benefit patient care.
“We believe that companies are unable to fully realise the potential value of their medical device technologies due to the high costs and limited access associated with conducting clinical investigations, consulting health economists, and utilising cadaver models.
“This next growth phase for the MDMC will further accelerate Scotland’s offering in this crucial sector, maintaining our world-leading stance in the field of medical device creation with a renewed focus on sustainability and environmentally sensitive manufacturing techniques.”
