NHS service standard - sustainability

[georginaplatt]

What

A service standard for health and social care that reflects the sustainability goals of the NHS and how we should design with net zero and sustainability in mind.

Why

Sustainability is important for the NHS and there is a whole Greener NHS target set for net zero NHS.

• What evidence do you have that services across the NHS need it?

• What evidence do you have that it meets the needs of the users of those services?

• Have you checked that it doesn't already exist in the NHS digital service manual?

This could be a new standard for health and care or update to point 11 : -

11. Choose the right tools and technology Choose tools and technology that let you build a good service in an efficient, cost effective way. Build a sustainable service which allows you to change direction in future.

https://service-manual.nhs.uk/service-standard/11-choose-the-right-tools-and-technology -->

Anything else

[georginaplatt]

Thread from #nhs-service-standard on #NHS service manual public slack

Plenty of thinking out there re: sustainable [digital design] - https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare have been doing amazing work in this area for many years. they are working with Greener NHS and I'm sure would be give guidance on where to start/focus - http://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/

https://www.digitalhealth.net/2021/11/the-importance-of-greening-our-working-lives/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h0SfcQFqmQ

[maddyow]

In 2021, we discovered using the design system has significantly improved our carbon footprint and made our websites much cleaner. At this time we analysed a number of Campaigns websites in our portfolio and found all of the new products using the design system were 'in the green' where as the others were much less sustainable.

A more specific example can be found on another Github issue

[sarawilcox]

GOV.UK guidance: Make your technology sustainable includes a list of useful resources.

[sarawilcox]

There is a proposal to add a new principle for sustainability to the NHS design principles: https://github.com/nhsuk/nhsuk-service-manual-community-backlog/issues/442.