Ysbyty Gwynedd Emergency Department recognised for sustainability efforts

16 April 2026

Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Emergency Department has been awarded Bronze accreditation by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine GreenED programme, recognising its commitment to reducing environmental impact while maintaining high standards of patient care.

The GreenED programme supports emergency departments across the UK to lower their carbon footprint and embed sustainable practices into everyday care. Ysbyty Gwynedd is one of a number of hospitals in Wales recognised in the latest round of awards.

Over the past year, the department has introduced a wide range of initiatives aimed at improving sustainability. These include reducing paper use, lowering computer brightness to cut electricity consumption, and introducing greener prescribing practices such as switching from injectable to oral medications where clinically appropriate.

Further changes have included reducing emissions linked to staff travel by enabling home working and making teaching sessions and departmental meetings available online, as well as introducing composting for staff food waste and switching to reusable or recyclable cutlery, crockery and condiments.

The team has also taken steps to reduce single-use plastics, including introducing plastic-free tea bags and recycling walking aids, while embedding sustainability into the culture of the department.

Where measurable, these changes have already resulted in an annual saving of approximately 12,500 kgCO2e and £15,000, with further unquantified benefits expected.

Dr Leesa Parkinson, Emergency Department Consultant at Ysbyty Gwynedd, who has led the project, said: “This accreditation reflects the collective effort of our entire team to make meaningful changes that reduce our environmental impact without compromising patient care.

“Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility, and it has been fantastic to see colleagues from across the department – including clinical, administrative, pharmacy and housekeeping teams – come together to support this work.

“While we are proud to have achieved Bronze status, this is just the beginning. There is still more we can do, and we are committed to continuing this journey and building on the progress we’ve made so far.”

The department continues to explore further improvements, including switching to paper tourniquets and medicine cups, introducing reusable suture kits, reducing unnecessary cannulation and blood tests, and moving to QR code-based patient information leaflets to minimise paper use.

All staff groups within the Emergency Department have played a role in delivering these improvements, demonstrating a shared commitment to more sustainable healthcare for patients and communities across North Wales.